ALL Hallows Hospital at Ditchingham is looking at the possibility of establishing an outreach renal service this year.It would be the latest in a number of initiatives the hospital as set up to diversify its services for the community alongside its well established palliative, intermediate, GP assessment and rehabilitation care.

ALL Hallows Hospital at Ditchingham is looking at the possibility of establishing an outreach renal service this year.

It would be the latest in a number of initiatives the hospital as set up to diversify its services for the community alongside its well established palliative, intermediate, GP assessment and rehabilitation care.

It is also home to St Edmunds House a long term care unit designed to provide 24 hour nursing care to eight people aged 18 and over with a physical or sensory disability, and there is also a busy physiotherapy department, a purpose built day care centre and a homecare service based at the Hospital delivering care to people in the comfort and safety of their own home.

Since last month All Hallows, in conjunction with Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust, has had a designated bed for end of life care as a pilot scheme.

Now, with the culture and ethos of the organisation to provide healthcare for the local community stronger than ever, work has been undertaken at All Hallows to examine new services and ways towards obtaining funding from local commissioners, to include healthcare services that at present are only available at the major acute hospitals.

Last year chief executive Clair Deamer and Dr Paul McMahon, a consultant psychiatrist from Norfolk & Waveney Mental Health Trust identified a need to provide a high quality in-patient service to people with complex eating disorders across Norfolk and Suffolk, and earlier this month it had its first Eating Disorder patient - there is a possibility that this will increase to two in April.

The hospital is already in discussions with a team from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital about the possibility of having outreach renal services at All Hallows in 2009. As a small hospital it can be more flexible than some others.

The Association of the Friends of All Hallows Hospital was set up in February 1976 with the aim of raising funds by subscription, donations and fund-raising to help towards the cost of equipment, supplies, repairs to the fabric, and patient support at the hospital.

From April this year, all the medical facilities, the hospital, the day care centre and the nursing home, and the Friends' Association will become a charity in their own right.

The Friends' Executive Committee consists of five officers and fourteen members and six ex-officio members. Currently the Friends have around 150 members who pay subscriptions, and the Frinds raise other funds with a variety of events during the year, including a monthly raffle at the hospital. This year the sensory garden, complete with water features, tactile and perfumed plants will be opened, thanks to their efforts.