BOLTON’S renal dialysis unit has re-opened after a £120,000 investment.

The centre, based at the Royal Bolton Hospital but run by Salford Royal Foundation Trust, closed in January for building work to improve the accommodation and repairs.

The unit has been open 10 years and treats 76 kidney outpatients from across Bolton but needed urgent repairs to its floor at a cost of £74,000.

Patients had to be treated at Rochdale and Wigan while the work was carried out but they did have their travel costs reimbursed for the period.

Improvements included a revamped reception area, new clinic rooms, side rooms and an area where patients can check their weight in privacy.

The centre re-opened last week and welcomed back about 80 patients.

It will now also provide renal outpatient appointments from the unit.

The Bolton unit is one of three satellite centres run by Salford Royal. Patients also have treatment at units in Wigan and Rochdale and building work to create a new satellite unit at Oldham will start this year.

Kendra Burns, unit manager, said “Salford Royal is delighted to be offering much fresher and modern facilities to our patients on the unit.

“We’re really grateful to patients for their patience whilst the unit was closed and they had to dialyse elsewhere, with our help with travel arrangements.

“We hope our patients are pleased with their new look unit, especially as some of the changes we’ve made were at the request of our patients, for example, a separate area for them to carry out activities such as weighing themselves.

“Dialysis patients visit the centre three times a week for several hours at a time so it’s important we create nice surroundings for them to be treated in.”