Trust gains University title

The NHS Trust which runs the West Cumberland Hospital and Carlisle hospital has gained the University brand. It has been announced that the new title for the trust will be the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust.

This recovnises that north Cumbria’s two main hospitals have been working with local universities to train medical staff. That recognition should also make it easier to open up new opportunities for trainee doctors and nurses across the area, and this is greatly to be welcomed. The aim must be to establish a first class health education and training centre for Cumbria.

The trust’s bid to improve training has been made with the support of the Universities of Cumbria and Newcastle, which are both involved in new medical student teaching schemes, and the progress made has now been recognised by the Privy Council and the Department of Health.

The "News and Star" comment today summed the situation up very well:

"The NHS reached the grand age of 60 last month, and its core principles – providing free healthcare for all, regardless of wealth – are still admired by many. But it is also an institution beset with problems, and over the years the Whitehaven and Carlisle hospitals have not escaped the effects of inadequate funding and service cuts at a national level.

University status will secure investment and the continuing provision of healthcare for the people of north Cumbria. These are major developments which, if all goes to plan, will have wide-reaching benefits.

The county has been suffering from a brain drain for too long, and we need to not only attract young talent, but retain it too, if the much-anticipated regeneration of Cumbria is to be a success."