We are thrilled to share that John Sagar Renal Centre, Burnley celebrated its official opening on 14 July 2022.
The modern and spacious renal facility, opened to patients in October 2021.
Patients, Partners and families joined in the opening celebration, including members of John Sagar's family.
The Renal Centre was named in honour of Mr John Sagar, a kidney patient from East Lancashire, and selfless advocate of kidney patients in his region.
John Sagar was also the President of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Kidney Patients Association.
John never let his kidney issues hinder his life and travelled the world with his family, following his beloved Burnley FC and dedicated any free time to helping others.
Speaking at the event, Diaverum UK Managing Director Lisa Jordan said:
“We are delighted to have welcomed patients and their guests to this new unit in Burnley.
As well as honouring John Sagar’s memory, this Centre is part of our wider plan to improve the experience that we offer to patients and futureproof renal care in East Lancashire for many years to come.
I would like to say a huge thank you to the teams at Diaverum and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals who have worked so hard to make this possible.”
John’s wife Linda Sagar and son David , were guests of honour at the event, and cut the ribbon to officially open the Renal Centre.
Linda said: “It’s just fantastic. It’s so emotional, and I hope John knows about this. He’d be thrilled but also humbled. He would be thinking they should have named it after someone else.
The centre is so open and comfortable for patients and there’s a lot of space for everyone.”
The Burnley renal centre is part of a larger project that Diaverum UK is undertaking with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to improve the lives of people with suffering with kidney disease across Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Medical Director Dr Gerry Skailes said: “John spent many selfless hours campaigning for the new centre in Burnley and other units, as well as championing the cause of organ donation.
We all wanted to name this new centre here in Burnley in his honour because of his tireless passionate commitment in leading and shaping improvements to care for all people with kidney disease. John’s death in 2018 was sadly too soon for all those that knew him and for John to see his hopes become a reality.
The John Sagar Renal Centre will hopefully be an enduring legacy offering improved patient-centred care and experiences that would have made him happy and his family proud.”
The John Sagar Renal Centre located at Briercliffe Shopping Centre, is a 24 dialysis station facility, alongside clinic rooms for outpatient appointments and video consultation facilities.
A second new renal centre for East Lancashire opens in Blackburn later this summer.