Some Essex kidney dialysis patients have been trained to use their machines at home, giving them more independence.
Renal wards at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust - which includes Broomfield Hospital - trained 30 patients then offered back up support when they started treatment at home.
Linda Charge said it meant she felt more secure during lockdown last year.
The 77-year-old has a course of three dialysis treatments a week.
She said: “I read, or go through emails, I can even have a little sleep. I wouldn’t feel like I could have done that at the hospital. Being at home makes such a big change."
Renal treatment can take up to four hours to cleanse the blood, several times a week.
Santhy Gopalan, a sister at the renal unit who trains patients to use the machines, said: “It gives the patient a better quality of life.”
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