There is some genuinely good news to share from the renal unit this week. A new patient education suite, named the Kidney Patient Education Suite, has opened at Manchester Royal Infirmary, and it is there to help people approaching dialysis better understand the choices in front of them.
The room has been set up so that dialysis equipment can be seen, examined and asked about at your own pace. A haemodialysis machine sits alongside the kit used for peritoneal dialysis, with comfortable seating for more than one person, artwork on the walls and room for an unhurried conversation. The thinking is simple: it is easier to weigh up your options when you can take your time with the equipment, ask the questions that matter to you and picture how each type of dialysis might fit into your own home and routine.
Why the new patient education suite matters for dialysis choices
Choosing between the different types of dialysis is one of the bigger decisions many of us face, and it usually arrives at a point when there is already a great deal to take in. Being able to see how home dialysis actually works, how much space the equipment needs and what a session involves makes that decision far less abstract. Home therapies do not suit everyone, but plenty of patients who choose them value the flexibility and the reduced travel, and this suite gives people a proper chance to explore that first. If you are weighing up your options, our guide to the different types of dialysis is a useful starting point, alongside the advice of your own renal team.
Funded by kidney patients, for kidney patients
The plaque on the wall credits the Manchester Kidney Patients Association, which is us, and Kidneys for Life, the Manchester renal charity that funds research, equipment and patient facilities across local kidney services. We were glad to help fund it. The money MRIKPA puts into projects like this comes from fundraising and donations, and when people ask what we do with what we raise, the patient education suite is a very concrete answer: a permanent room at the MRI that will help patients make better informed decisions for years to come.
Every pound we raise is meant to end up somewhere useful, and a room like this is exactly what we mean by useful. Being able to sit with the equipment, ask the awkward questions and picture dialysis at home changes how people feel about a decision that can otherwise feel as though it is being made for them.
David Coyle, Vice-Chair of MRIKPA
Thank you to everyone who made it possible
Facilities like this one are only possible because of the people who walk, run, bake, sponsor and donate throughout the year, and our thanks go to every one of them, and to the renal team at the MRI who will use the room day to day. You can read more about renal care at Manchester Royal Infirmary on our website, and if you would like to help fund the next project, our donations page explains the ways to give.
The Kidney Patient Education Suite opened at Manchester Royal Infirmary in September 2026, funded by the Manchester Kidney Patients Association and Kidneys for Life. Photographs courtesy of Kidneys for Life.
If you are due to start dialysis and would like to see the patient education suite, do ask your renal team or your home therapies nurse. You can follow more stories like this on our research and news pages, and if you would simply like to talk things through with someone who has been there, you are always welcome to get in touch at support@mrikpa.org.uk or on 07745 242 684.
This article is provided for general information and awareness purposes only and was believed to be accurate at the time of publishing. It is not intended as medical advice. Please always consult your doctor or renal team for guidance on your individual circumstances. Images used are for illustration purposes only and may not be medically or editorially accurate. While we take every care, errors can occur. If you spot an inaccuracy, please let us know at support@mrikpa.org.uk.
