Portsmouth University Hospitals Trust submits planning application for multi-million pound renal dialysis unit in Fareham

Portsmouth University Hospitals Trust, which runs Queen Alexandra Hospital, hopes to bring a 25-bed centre to a new modular build on the Fareham Community Hospital site and provide life-saving treatment, closer to home for an additional 150 patients a week.

It comes following news last year that the hospital needed ‘urgent changes’ having recorded a footfall of 40 per cent and ‘alarming’ underuse.

The trust has seen an increase in need for dialysis treatment since the Covid-19 pandemic and the new centre will provide further capacity.

Evidence shows that providing dialysis closer to home saves lives and local patients will save more than 380,000 miles in travel.

If approved by Fareham Borough Council, the unit is hoped to open in early 2023.

Shelia Humphrey, senior lead nurse for renal and transplantation at PHU, said: ‘It is really exciting to take the next step with our new dialysis unit and we know it will make a big difference for our patients.

‘Our existing provision is at full capacity with patients having to travel further to get their treatment. This new renal dialysis unit will give us the capacity we need to meet the needs of our local community and enable us give all our patients the very best possible care.”

The centre will allow patients to access dialysis treatment closer to home during the day as well as services for local residents with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who would normally have to travel for specialist outpatient care, intravenous iron fusions, dialysis planning and education.

Patient transport will be provided for those eligible and there is also free parking on site.

Divisional director for networked services and consultant nephrologist at PHU, Natalie Borman said: ‘These exciting plans are a result of fantastic collaboration between our clinicians, patients, colleagues, key partners and architects.

‘We have also worked in close partnership with the ICS, NHS Property Services, the League of Friends and our local MP who are all supportive of providing this service locally for our patients.’

The community hospital has been accused of being a waste of taxpayers’ money as it is underused, but has this year seen a chemotherapy unit open as it attempted to shed its ‘ghost hospital’ reputation.