DIALYSIS patients at York Hospital are getting to grips with technology by using their regular sessions to receive computer training.

Patients visit the hospital three times a week from places such as York, Selby, Harrogate, Malton and Ripon and must stay for four hours each time.

While some patients read, watch television, listen to music or simply sleep, it was felt that the time hooked up to the blood filtering machines could be better spent.

So Future Prospects in York was called in this week to offer computer training to those who wanted to learn a new skill.

One patient, Hilary Davidson, 49, of Cliffe, near Selby, has received dialysis for five years and is awaiting a kidney transplant.

The mother-of-two said she jumped at the chance of learning a new skill.

She said: "Being on dialysis does become a routine but sometimes it gets on top of you a bit.

"I thought the training was a very good idea, something new to help pass the time and help us to learn a new skill in the process.

"I have a computer at home, but I'm not very good with them. I just thought this course would freshen my skills up and we will not just be learning word processing skills, but looking at Photoshop and other aspects of computing.

"I think everyone enjoyed the first session."

Cathy Holman, a social worker at the renal unit who helped set up the sessions with Future Prospects, said: "We do have a lap top computer in the unit but it was not really being used.

"We eventually found out that it was because not many people knew how to use it.

"We set up a short course of training sessions for Monday evenings, and if it is successful we might try to get some more computers for the patients."

Updated: 09:14 Thursday, November 06, 2003