Treatment will be available at more hospitals closer to people's homes through a deal signed under the independent sector treatment centre programme.

The initiative has come under fire for offering poor value for money with millions wasted so far in Yorkshire on procedures which were never carried out.

The scale of taxpayers' support for the programme has also remained shrouded in secrecy. Officials yesterday again refused to say how much public money was being spent on the initiative.

Under the scheme, patients in the Mexborough, Worksop, Grimsby, Hull, Scarborough and Bridlington areas will get care at their local hospitals expanded or provided in some cases for the first time, with 45 new dialysis stations created.

More than 550,000 dialysis sessions will be provided under the seven-year contract with private provider Fresenius Medical Care Renal Services UK although patients will remain under the care of NHS clinicians.

The move is in response to a big increase in dialysis with the number of patients expected to increase by 60 per cent nationally between 2001 and 2010.

Annette Laban, director of commissioning and performance at Yorkshire's strategic health authority, said: "This will offer these patients greater choice in where they receive their dialysis and, more importantly, to ensure that the dialysis is delivered in units closer to people's homes."

Under the deal 12 extra kidney stations have already opened at Scunthorpe General Hospital and another 12 will be refurbished at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby.

An extra 13 stations will open at Hull Royal Infirmary in two years. Eight new stations will open at Bridlington Hospital in August and a new water treatment plant will be installed in Scarborough. Montagu Hospital in Mexborough and Bassetlaw Hospital, Worksop, will each get 12 new stations.