Patients with cystic fibrosis have said their lives have been changed with the opening of a "phenomenal" treatment centre in Nottingham.
The Wolfson Cystic Fibrosis Centre at the City Hospital has been in development since 2011 and has cost £6.6m.
It has been designed to care for more than 250 patients across Nottinghamshire and surrounding counties, almost twice the number prior to its construction.
Among the people at the opening was patient Caroline Spencer, 37, of Mossdale Road, Mansfield who helped to design the new building.
She said: "I've been involved in the building of this facility and what we have now compared to what we had before is phenomenal - it's a home away from home.
"I've been an in-patient before and the treatment you get is so different - we're not just put in rooms and forgotten about. It's going to change people's health for the better."
As cross-infection between patients with cystic fibrosis is a concern in treatment, the centre has been built with this in mind.
The facility features "gym pods" which allow service users to exercise safely and patient rooms are equipped with video technology so they can chat to other people in the centre.
Kathryn Hodgson, 25, who is from Grantham, said the additions made her feel less isolated during care.
She added: "It makes a massive difference - the doctors and nurses nag you to get on with your treatment and it's nice to be able to talk to someone else going through it with you.
"The whole unit makes such a difference to our stay."
Other improvements include an in-house kitchen with a team of chefs on hand to provide for patients' dietary requirements and new bedrooms decorated to a high standard.
The project was part funded by Nottingham Hospitals Charity, contributing £2.1million to its construction.
One of the donors was Sarah Walker, 75, whose daughter Kate, had cystic fibrosis from the age of six and was treated at the City Hospital until she died in 1991, aged 22.
Mrs Walker said: "We kept in touch with the hospital and said we would help to fund a new centre. This centre is wonderful."
Cystic fibrosis consultant Dr Jane Dewar led the campaign to open the centre.
She said: "I felt passionately that they deserved better.
"I don't think I had any idea how difficult that would be but I am blessed to be surrounded by so many tremendous people who have got behind this."
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