Cash Blow to West Cumberland Hospital ?

The News and Star reports here that there has been a major setback in plans for a new hospital for West Cumbria.

The paper's article today says that the NHS trust "found out this week that a maximum pot of just £100 million will be available – which may not be enough to deliver the new-build facility they had envisaged.

They have now admitted they may be forced to look at a part-refurbishment scheme – using some of the existing West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven – instead."

I have been arguing for some time that the local NHS trusts must take a decision quickly, to ensure that we protect staff morale and keep good people at the hospital by giving them a secure future: this has become all the more important with the national economy going into severe problems and £35 billion sliced from government spending plans in the pre-budget report. The longer action is delayed, the greater the risk that the money will no longer be there. Instead we should move forward as quickly as possible to provide modern services on the existing site.

I am of course very concerned to hear about the money problems. However, as I was already of the opinion that the existing site is the best place for the hospital, if it means that the local NHS Trusts focus on providing the best available services on that site and moving forward to do so as quickly as possible, such a policy would be of benefit to patients and staff alike.

More details on my hospital campaign blog - see link at right

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