Wonderful news: Next phase of WCH development gets outline approval

Anyone who regularly visits the West Cumberland Hospital (WCH), as I do, cannot have failed to notice that building works and preparations have been proceeding at pace as some of the older wings replaced by new facilities built in the previous major redevelopments over the last ten years have now been demolished to make way for more new hospital facilities. 

Yesterday it was confirmed that the funding proposals for those new facilities has been approved, a fantastic development for patients and staff in West Cumbria.

A £40 million investment to deliver phase 2 of the WCH redevelopment has been approved by NHS Improvement.  It will bring a huge upgrade in facilities for both patients and staff creating a better environment, retaining bed capacity and services for the site and improving the capacity to undertake additional planned operations in the future.

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has developed an ambitious plan to replace approximately 40% of the original structure at WCH and build upon the £90m phase 1 of the project which was completed in 2015 and subsequent additions opened in the past five years. 

Demolition of the previous hospital buildings has already been undertaken to make way for 60 inpatient beds, encompassing Elderly Care, Step Down facilities and End of life care. The plans also include a Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit, Assessment area and 7 inpatient beds.

The formal approval of the Outline Business Case is a key milestone in the project, and the next phase will be to further engage with staff and the community to develop final detailed designs for the Final Business Case (FBC) by the end of June 2021.  

The Trust will hold virtual events for staff and the wider community to gather views and feedback on the plans.

Lyn Simpson, Chief Executive said:

“We’re thrilled that the outline business case has been approved by NHS Improvement and is a proactive step towards the next stage of development.  This sends a very positive signal about the future of healthcare provision in West Cumbria and following an incredibly difficult year for our staff and the community, this news couldn’t come at a better time. The approval of the £40 million scheme will allow us to move forward with our ambitious plans for phase 2 of the build.”

People can find out more about the plans by visiting the NCIC website here and can ask questions by attending the planned virtual meetings: dates will be confirmed via the Trust website in the coming days.

Work is now underway to develop the Full Business Case which will be submitted to NHS Improvement in June.

New Coronavirus treatments pass clinical trials

Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced that new lifesaving treatments for coronavirus have passed rigorous clinical trials – and will be available through the NHS immediately – helping to potentially save thousands of lives. 

• British scientific research has contributed to the creation of new lifesaving treatments – Tocilizumab and Sarilumab – which, when added to the armoury of vaccines and treatments already being rolled out, will play a significant role in defeating this virus.
   
• Tocilizumab and Sarilumab have been found to reduce the risk of death for critically ill patients by almost a quarter and have cut time spent in intensive care by as much as ten days. Updated guidance will be issued today, encouraging NHS trusts across the UK to use these drugs to treat patients in intensive care units, with immediate effect.
   
• This is evidence of the UK’s excellent research infrastructure and life sciences industry advancing global understanding of this disease, which has been achieved  both through Britain's own programme of clinical research and through our very large contributions to international studies.