West Cumberland Redevelopment: website launched

During the Executive report to Copeland Borough Council this afternoon, it was reported that the long-awaited website to keep patients, residents and staff in touch with the redevelopment of West Cumberland Hospital has finally been launched. The URL is www.buildingyourhospital.ncuh.nhs.uk.

Having had a look at the website which I warmly welcome, I noted that the formal submission of the full business case is due by the end of this month: it is described as being on track.

I asked the leader of the council if it would be worth contacting the NHS Trust to ask if there is anything the council can do to help and support the submission of the final business case, and she agreed to do so.

Millom Hospital

I attended the Millom Neighbourhood Forum at the network centre, Millom School yesterday.

The first item discussed was the future of Millom Community Hospital. The timetable for the proposed redevelopment and improvement for the hospital has slipped a bit, and the previous decision that the new services to be provided can best be done on the existing site is being reviewed. Nevertheless the project is still going forward.

Snow and Ice force hospital cancellations

The extreme weather has forced health bosses in Cumbria to cancel all non-emergency hospital appointments.

NHS North West told the BBC that staff were focusing on emergency cases and said it hoped patients would understand.

Even though the county has escaped the worst of recent snowfalls, more than 140 schools have been closed.

The Highways Agency said it had about six days of grit and salt left and that at the moment it was coping with road treatment operations.


Jane Cummings, director for nursing, quality, performance and commissioning at NHS North West, told the BBC: "At the moment our priority has to be to maintain patient safety and treat emergency and urgent cases.

"This may mean that some patients may experience a slight delay to some services, or that services are delivered in a slightly different way.

"Staff throughout the NHS are doing all that they can to ensure essential services continue to run efficiently.

"We can confirm that some hospitals across the region have taken the decision to postpone all non-essential out-patient appointments.

"If you have an out-patient or day-patient appointment scheduled for the next few days, please contact your hospital clinic and check whether any arrangements have been changed."

Mountain rescue teams have been drafted in to help the North West Ambulance Service, which is only responding to the most urgent calls.