THE Lord Mayor of York is leading an appeal to buy a life saving machine for renal patients at York Hospital.

Cllr Ian Gillies has chosen the York Teaching Hospital Charity as one of the Lord Mayor’s Charities of the Year with funds raised going towards buying a new life-saving haemodialysis machine for patients in York.

The machine will allow kidney patients to manage their own treatment in a new self care dialysis unit which will give patients greater control, flexibility of treatment, more frequent dialysis and more quality time with family.

Cllr Gillies and his Lady Mayoress Patricia Gillies visited the Renal Unit at York Hospital before Christmas to find out more about the work of the team.

Sister Janet King showed the Mayor and Mayoress around the unit where they met patient Michael Akers and Patrick Crowley, the chief executive of the hospital.

She explained: “When a patient undergoes dialysis they can be attached to a dialysis machine for four hours, up to four times a week.

“Currently patients in York have to come into the hospital, where there will be others dialysing, along with the buzz of doctors, nurses and visitors on the ward.

“With the support of the funds raised from the Lord Mayor’s charity, we plan to purchase a new machine for the self care dialysis unit we are opening.

“This will allow renal patients in York to manage their own dialysis, giving them greater control over their treatment and the freedom to dialyse when it’s suitable for them.”

Throughout his year in office, the Lord Mayor has planned many fundraising events to support York Teaching Hospital and York Against Cancer.

For York Against Cancer, the fundraising will support the purchase of a much needed new mini bus, which takes patients from York to vital radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments in Leeds.

A number of successful events have already been held and the amount raised to date is about £13,000.