Next stage of hospital improvements to begin at WCH.

Fantastic news today for health in West Cumbria with the details released of the next phase of building and development to increase capacity at West Cumberland hospital (WCH).

Building work to improve capacity in the emergency department at WCH will start early in the New Year.  The work is part of the £4 million winter funding awarded to North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) earlier this year and will make it possible to further develop the same day emergency care facilities on the site.   

There has been a lot of work done in recent months to improve the Emergency Departments run by NCIC, including the successful implementation of the Same Day Emergency Care model at both sites. The delivery of additional space will enable NCIC to develop this work further, by improving capacity, reducing overcrowding, and improve the overall patient experience.  

Earlier in 2020, NHS Trusts across England, including North Cumbria Integrated NHS Foundation Trust, were allocated shares of a £300 million funding package to upgrade NHS facilities ahead of winter. NCIC was awarded £4 million of which £1.75 million is being spent at West Cumberland Hospital.

Groundwork has started at the West Cumberland Hospital to prepare for the arrival of a single storey build next month. The extension will sit adjacent to the existing build and will be accessible from the current Emergency Assessment Unit as well as a separate entrance. 

This unit will encompass a procedure room, 4 clinic/assessment rooms, an infusion room with up to 6 trollies or chairs with dedicated staff base, a reception & waiting area as well as office space.  Staff rest space is also to be improved during the project after staff highlighted this during design stage.

Improvements will also be made within the main hospital, the work comprises of, the development of a Rapid Assessment & Treatment Room (RAT’s), with the Emergency Department which will enable an improved patient experience.

It is planned that these upgrades will improve patient flow within the hospital and allow the Trust to effectively reduce some of the pressure that winter brings. The development should also reduce delays for patients who attend the Emergency Department at WCH

(Source: NCIC news release here.)

One Stop Breast Clinic at WCH to re-open on 11th January 2021

We have had the fantastic news this morning that the One Stop Breast Clinic at West Cumberland Hospital is to re-open on 11th January.

There was a special meeting of the West Cumbria Community Forum at which this was discussed (I was unable to attend as it clashed with a meeting of the Cumbria Pensions Committee which I am attending today (and posting this during a ten-minute comfort break) but I see from emails circulated about it that it was a good meeting.

NCIC has issued a press release on the subject this morning which reads as follows:

One stop breast clinic restarts in the New Year

 

Breast care clinicians at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) have confirmed the one stop breast clinic at West Cumberland Hospital will restart in the New Year.     It will return to the West Cumberland Hospital with a full range of services week commencing 11th January 2021.  The clinic will initially run with 15 slots every fortnight with the hope of adding additional slots to the clinic in the future.   The Trust paused the clinic earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, compounded by the issues of recruitment.   However the Trust has now successfully secured the planned international recruitment which enables the restart with further opportunities in the months ahead.     In addition to this, the Trust will continue to run pilot clinics for the lower risk referrals that do not normally require a radiologist that have been in place throughout November and December. These imaging clinics will continue weekly and will prevent low risk patients having to travel unnecessarily to the Cumberland Infirmary.    Dr Rod Harpin, Medical Director at NCIC attended two local community forums to discuss the reasons why the one stop breast clinic had been paused, earlier on this year and had committed to reinstating the clinic as soon as it was safe to do so.  The forum allowed local community representatives to express their concerns and for NCIC to gather valuable feedback.   Dr Harpin is pleased that the Trust is now in a position to restart the clinics, explaining:   “For some time, we have been working hard behind the scenes to recruit the specific clinicians required to serve the one stop breast clinic; and the safe reopening of the clinic has remained a priority to us. I’m happy to report that we are now in a position to restart the clinic, with ambitions to develop it into the New Year to ensure we can deliver safe high quality treatment to women as close to their homes as possible.”

Improving and upgrading hospitals

The Health Secretary has announced an allocation of £600 million to upgrade and refurbish hospitals across England.

• The government is providing £600 million to tackle critical maintenance work in hospitals across the country, refurbishing wards, installing brand-new electrics and upgrading ventilation systems. In total, almost 1,800 projects will benefit, with work completed by March 2021.
   
• These crucial projects will deliver immediate benefits and provide NHS staff with the facilities they need to provide world-class care to patients, helping our NHS to build back better after the pandemic.
• The Trusts receiving support include the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust who are allocated £2,201,000
• There is also £2.586 million for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust 
• NCIC (North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust) have been allocated £1.5 million
• NWAS (North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust) are to get £822,000

December meeting of the Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee

The next meeting of Cumbria Health Scrutiny committee will be held online at 10.30 am this coming  Tuesday (15th December 2020.)

Details of the papers for the meeting and a link to watch the meeting live or afterwards can be found on the County Council website at

Agenda for Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, 15th December, 2020, 10.30 am | Cumbria County Council.

The main agenda items are:

8. A report on the Ramsay unit at Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow

9. Healthcare for the Future update on community hospitals in West, North and East Cumbria

10a. Hospital Acquired Infections in South Cumbria (report from Morecambe Bay trust)

10b.  Hospital Acquired Infections in West, North and East Cumbria (report from NCIC trust)

11. Possible Changes to the NHS Podiatric Service in South Cumbria (Report from Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, particularly on the proposed Engagement process.

West Cumberland Hospital "one of the first" to get the COVID vaccine

The North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust has tweeted this morning that

"We are very proud that West Cumberland is to be one of the first hospitals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Our team has been working round the clock to put the arrangements in place that will allow us to start protecting the most vulnerable people in our communities."

Link for more information: NHS.uk/CovidVaccine