Patients at a specialised unit at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle have praised the staff for their team work and friendly and professional manner.

Those who visited the Medical Procedures Unit (MPU) in May were very impressed by the way staff treated them and their families and how they worked together.

The feedback has been a great boost for staff.

Claire Moynan, deputy ward manager for the MPU, said: "The feedback from patients has been wonderful and we’re really pleased the Care Quality Commission share our patients’ views.

"We see many patients again and again who give positive feedback about the care they receive."

The MPU was set up in September 2015 to support divisional services at the infirmary. It's aim was to reduce unnecessary patient admissions and support patient ease of access to day services.

The unit works with 13 specialisms recovering patients following liver and lung biopsies and dealing with pacing recovery and loop recorders, endocrinology testing, and various specialist infusions. It provides care to approximately 230 patients each month.

The unit offers patients more comfort and privacy, and avoids the need for admission to a hospital bed. A dedicated nursing team carries out routine treatment such as infusions or blood transfusions for patients who may attend hospital regularly.

Up until last year, these treatments would have been carried out in a variety of locations across the hospital.

Last September the MPU marked a milestone after it carried out 2,320 procedures in 12 months. Since opening it has carried out 3,750.

May's patient experience questionnaire showed that 100 per cent of all patients surveyed would be likely or highly likely to recommend the service to friends and family.

The unit was also highlighted as an area of 'outstanding practice' by the Care Quality Commission following the Trust’s most recent inspection.