A CRISIS meeting has been organised amid claims that kidney patients are being refused treatment because of a lack of cash.

Preston and District Kidney Patients' Association says there are deficiencies in the service offered at Royal Preston Hospital.

East Lancashire patients who suffer kidney failure start treatment at the hospital then most move on for treatment at Accrington Victoria Hospital.

The organisation contacted local MPs in October to highlight the lack of funding.

But it said today that nothing has changed and has called a meeting with the area's directors of public health and representatives of Community Health Councils to discuss the issue. An association spokesman said: "The main problems have not changed and are worsening. Patients are being refused treatment.

"Patients requiring haemodialysis are having to wait longer than is medically indicated. "Most patients receive dialysis three times a week, but for some this has had to be reduced to twice a week. A patient's choice of treatment is restricted to availability and not need.

"The reason is lack of commitment from the purchasers who feel they cannot justify further expenditure on renal services which are not a priority."

Dr Stephen Morton, East Lancashire's director of public health, said East Lancashire Health Authority had increased its spending on renal care in recent years.

But he said: "There will never be enough renal services for all the potential recipients.

"Renal failure is common and will often be the cause of death at the end stages of another illness."

The meeting will be held at the Postgraduate Centre, Watling Street Road, Preston, at 7pm on Thursday.

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