CHORLEY Hospital's proposed new renal service has been given the green light after the Government announced it was giving £624,000 towards its development. The cash is part of a £2.3 million package to improve patient services in the area.

The new Haemodialysis Unit will provide 12 stations to treat 48 patients from the Chorley and South Ribble area.

Health bosses say the unit, at Chorley Hospital, will greatly improve access to renal services.

The development will cost £1m to build, more than £1m to run each year, and will employ around 35 doctors, nurses and support staff. It will be operational by May 2002.

Jeff Moore, chief executive of Chorley and South Ribble and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trusts, welcomed the investment: "This development will provide our patients in Chorley and South Ribble with equal access to top quality haemodialysis services in a modern, purpose-built unit, situated on their doorstep.

"This will have enormous benefits for patients who will no longer have to travel long distances to other units for treatment."

Other government cash pledged by Alan Milburn, Secretary of State for Health, is:

£950,000 to improve ear, nose and throat services for patients in Chorley, South Ribble and Preston. The scheme involves the development of a designated ENT outpatient facility at the Royal Preston Hospital site.

£650,000 to build a Dermatology Resource Centre at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle, who has campaigned for the new renal unit, said he was delighted.

"Importantly the people in need of treatment should now not have to put up with travelling to Accrington and even Kendal for basic dialysis treatment.

"The new renal unit comes on the back of the new 30-bed medical ward currently being constructed at Chorley Hospital.

"This will further help the aim of making Chorley a first-class hospital with a wide range of treatment." The development is the second stage of a strategy to increase haemodialysis facilities across Lancashire and South Cumbria, led by the specialist commissioning team for the zone.

He said: "Historically South Lancashire has had one of the lowest take-up rates for renal services in the country, due primarily to lack of facilities locally and poor access to services.

The centre will provide a state-of-the art clinical environment for outpatient, day case and minor procedures boosting the range of care available locally. Also to be used for training, it will be operational by July 2002.

Mr Moore said: "The new facilities will enable us to keep the momentum of modernising our services, improving them for patients and meeting the objectives of the NHS Plan.