£2m expansion plan for hospitals in Cumbria unveiled

The bittersweet announcement - in line with plans agreed as part of the Success Regime consultation - will see bed numbers upped at Brampton, Keswick, Workington and Cockermouth.

It will include new build extensions in some cases, and local campaigners hope it will secure their future long term.

Although overall bed numbers will drop in Penrith, the hospital is also set for investment to make better use of space.

However those in Wigton, Alston and Maryport are still set to lose all their beds as part of an overall reduction in provision.

Despite widespread opposition, North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) agreed back in March to reduce the overall number of cottage hospital beds in north Cumbria from 133 to 104.

Although some will lose beds, others will see numbers increase.

Craig Melrose is associate medical director for community services at Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the community hospitals. He said the changes are related to safe staffing ratios and will also help to address recruitment issues.

It will mean one qualified nurse for every eight beds, supported by healthcare assistants and therapy staff.

"The idea is that you are working in multiples of eight. It is more effective to have hospitals with 16 beds as it makes the workforce slightly larger, more robust and sustainable," explained Dr Melrose.

"It means we can give staff training and development opportunities as there will be two qualified nurses on shift."

He added that running bigger units also makes it easier to provide sickness and holiday cover, which has been a problem.

At present he said there are a number of cottage hospital beds closed due to staff shortages, including six at Alston.

"In Wigton we have 19 beds but have been running at 14 for some time because we haven't got the staff to keep them open," he said.

Dr Melrose said that all of the hospitals have a future, with or without beds, and the new investment will enhance existing facilities.

In Brampton, the plan is to add one extra bed, taking the total to 16. But the plan - being drawn up in conjunction with the local League of Friends - is a bigger project to expand the hospital.

This will see an extension built onto the hospital to house four new beds, reorganise and modernise the inpatient ward, improve the layout and enhance the existing en-suite and other facilities.

John Holland, of the Brampton Friends group, said that as it will require substantial investment, they hope to reach an agreement to contribute some of the money needed for the project.

He said it was fantastic news for the town, and secures the future of the hospital - which just a year ago was under threat of losing its beds.

He added that he and the wider community hope it is just the start of a new partnership with the NHS.

The plan for Keswick is similar, with the hospital also in line for an extension so beds numbers can rise from 12 to 16.

In Workington, the ward has already been expanded - with work carried out at the same time as essential fire safety improvements - so that an extra two beds can open, taking the total from 14 to 16.

Dr Melrose said: "The beds are already there but are not currently in use because we haven't got the staff to open them. This will take place as part of wider changes in the next year or so."

Penrith hospital will see bed numbers reduce from 28 to 24, but the ward will be revamped with improved toilets and facilities.

Cockermouth hospital, where beds are set to rise from 11 to 16, is likely to be the last to undergo changes. Dr Melrose said that is because it is a new building and the layout requires the most thought.

Whitehaven's Copeland Unit, which provides community hospital-style beds on the West Cumberland Hospital site, currently has 15 beds and although 16 are in the plan, that is not set to change immediately.

The £2m is the total allocated as part of a collective funding bid to the Department of Health for capital investment for north, west and east Cumbria, tying together wider plans to overhaul the local NHS.

Exactly how much will be spent on each hospital has yet to be decided as detailed plans are still being drawn up.

Dr Melrose said the affected wards will have to close while the work is complete - but stressed it will be a temporary measure and that beds would be kept open elsewhere while it happens.

He added that plans have yet to be finalised and permission secured, so nothing will happen on the ground until after April next year.

"It is quite a complex plan and we won't do it all at once. It's hard to put together a timetable until we have definitive plans," he said.

Dr Melrose was also keen to stress that even those hospitals that are losing beds will not close and will undergo changes.

A draft vision for Wigton, drawn up in conjunction with local campaigners, is set to be unveiled at a public drop-in today.

Dr Melrose said they hospital is here to stay. "We've had a debate and looked at all the options, including social care changes and the buildings available, and keeping the hospital is the best way forward. The ward will move out but we can use that space in a different way."

In Alston, nursing staff are already operating in the community and the plan is also to use the ward space for other clinics.

Maryport hospital will also remain open, but instead focusing on day treatment, fraility clinics and IV infusions, reducing the need for people to travel outside the town for simple procedures.

Dr Melrose said in all three areas, they are looking to make use of existing care home facilities for certain circumstances - such as elderly patients who need rehabilitation or if their house is unsuitable.

"In Wigton and Alston we are planning on using residential care beds to look after some patients for who it would not be possible to care for them in their own homes. By using the community nursing team more flexibly we can support people in those beds," he said.

"There is the possibility of similar in Maryport if necessary, but it is closer to Cockermouth and Workington so easier to access beds."

Draft plans for the Wigton hospital are due to be unveiled at a public drop-in session today.

Taking place at the town's Methodist Church Hall between 9.30am and 2pm, it will give residents a first look at the wider plan for health and care services across the Solway area.

Those who have drawn up the plan - including local health staff and campaigners - will be there to answer questions.

Feedback will be encouraged. The plan will also go on display in the Aspatria and Silloth libraries.

There will also be a chance to get advice from a range of local agencies and voluntary groups at the event.

What is planned for each hospital?

Brampton: Extension to hospital as part of plans to increase bed numbers from 15 to 16 and create more space on wards.

Keswick: Extension to hospital, increasing beds from 12 to 16 and improvement to layout and facilities.

Workington: Work already complete as part of recent fire safety improvements with two new beds to open next year.

Penrith: Beds to drop from 28 to 24 but hospital ward area will undergo an overhaul to improve layout and facilities.

Cockermouth: Beds set to increase from 11 to 16 but plans still in very early stage and likely to be the last to be unveiled.

Wigton: All 19 beds will close but hospital will remain open, being used for new clinics. Local residential home beds may be used in future.

Alston: The hospitals' six beds will close but the hospital and GP surgery will remain open. Local care home beds may be used in future.

Maryport: All 13 beds to close but plan for hospital includes day therapies and treatments. Care home beds still an option.

Whitehaven: Success Regime plan included an extra bed at the Copeland Unit, taking total to 16, but no firm proposal yet.