Shropshire Star

Vital health service expands in Ludlow

A vital service has been extended as part of a major boost to the kidney dialysis unit at Ludlow Community Hospital.

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Ludlow Community Hospital

New equipment has also been installed thanks to its league of friends, which has further plans to improve services at the site.

A bladder scanner for Dinham Ward, costing more than £4,000, has been brought in, saving patients the need to travel to Shrewsbury or Telford.

Five televisions have been placed in the dialysis unit, where patients spend hours undergoing treatment, and from Monday the unit will operate six days a week, instead of three.

Peter Corfield, chairman of Ludlow Hospital League of Friends, says the service is vital for many.

Peter Corfield, chairman of Ludlow Hospital League of Friends

"The people who use it say it gives them their life back," he said.

"We have been putting a lot of money and effort into the hospital.

"What we have been trying to do is make it easier for people to get treatment closer to home, rather than having to travel to Telford or Shrewsbury."

The dialysis unit was established at Ludlow in 2010 with funds provided by The League of Friends and treats patients who otherwise would have to travel to Shrewsbury.

It treats patients by removing waste products and excess fluid from their blood when their kidneys stop working properly.

Mr Corfield said there are now plans to make enhancements to the relatives' room, which will include introducing overnight accommodation.

The group is also looking to provide mechanically assisted seating in the day rooms to help patients with mobility issues.

Mr Corfield added: "We also want to make the minor injuries unit far more able to stop the blue light trek up the A49.

"We want to improve the communication between us and the A&E by using video conferencing facilities.

"We are forever examining what our offer is. Our offer has to be care closer to home."

The group has spent more than £640,000 on the hospital over the years and was recently given more than £2,000 by the Ludlow and District Cage Birds Society, which has now disbanded after nearly 70 years.

Club president Jim Bishop said it had become difficult to sustain the society and its members wanted any remaining funds to support a good cause.

He said: "We appreciated the efforts that had gone into saving Ludlow Hospital from closure in 2005/6 as many of us had relied on the services provided there over many years and we also very much supported the work of The League in providing the most up-to-date diagnostic and treatment facilities closer to home."

The group is dependent upon voluntary fundraising and donations and in recent years has bought electronic profiling beds and bedside furniture throughout the hospital, funded the purchase of dialysis equipment, ultrasound scanning, ophthalmic equipment, public access defibrillators and equipped two first responders.

To make a donation visit friendsofludlowhospital.co.uk/footers/donations