By Pamela McGowan Health reporter

Published at 11:48, Wednesday, 03 September 2008

AFTER years of speculation, a site for the eagerly-awaited new West Cumberland Hospital will be decided before Christmas, bosses have revealed.

The North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, formerly the acute trust, plans to replace the crumbling Whitehaven hospital with one fit for the 21st century. Funding totalling £100m has now been earmarked in the Energy Coast Masterplan, which sets out priority projects for west Cumbria.

But one major question still remains unanswered – where will the new hospital be built?

This topic has been the subject of major discussion over the past few years, even before bosses committed themselves to the new build.

A number of sites, in both Copeland and neighbouring Allerdale, have been mooted by campaigners, politicians and community leaders.

But, yesterday, trust bosses refused to speculate about a preferred site, saying any such decision would first be the subject of a full consultation with the people of west Cumbria.

Speaking after yesterday’s board meeting in Carlisle, acting chief executive Kevin Clarkson said the consultation is now a top priority.

He added that building a new hospital is a five-year project, but they hoped to have a site agreed by Christmas. The next step is to appoint a project manager – or possibly an interim manager until a suitable permanent candidate can be found – to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk