A NORTH Cumbrian community hospital is set to fully reopen after a major refurbishment has now been completed.

The inpatient unit at Brampton Community Hospital will this week reopen, after the conclusion of its extensive £1m refurbishment.

The hospital now has 16 beds, and will be receiving patients again now the facilities have been, according to community hospital manager Val Buchanan, "brought into the 21st century.

“We are extremely pleased that we are reopening for in-patients after we closed in October for the works to begin," she said.

"The new unit means we are brought into the 21st century, it is so much better for patients and staff.

"We have much better privacy and dignity standards for our patients with en-suite rooms and more space in each room.

"There is a new nurses station and call system and there is an overhead hoist to make supporting patients in and out of bed far easier.”

The hospital will also be welcoming four new registered nurses and a new healthcare assistant to the team, as existing staff return to the hospital after most of them were transferred to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle while the inpatient unit was closed.

Jonathan Kenworthy, ward manager for the Brampton hospital, said: “The thing that I find the most pleasing is these renovations and the extension reaffirms Brampton hospital’s place in the future of our local healthcare.

"The way the beds are now configured mean that we are able to care for patients in a way that we were not able to before and with the new technology and hoists we are able to care for people that we couldn’t before.”

The purpose of Brampton hospital is to provide a mid-way point between community care and hospital care.

Mr Kenworthy explained that the new facilities will help staff fulfil that role more easily.

“The logistics of the ward, the availability of specialist equipment and the layout - giving better observation of our patients - all mean we can support more people than before to come out of the main hospital sooner or get nursing support without going into the main hospital, and all closer to home," he said.

“Also the environment is so much nicer for our staff and patients it’s light and airy and the rooms are much larger, we are all really happy with the final result.”

John Holland is chairman of the Brampton Hospital League of Friends charity, which is expected to be able to contribute £250,000 towards the funding of the renovations.

He said he was "delighted with the renovations, and that the League of Friends are able to contribute.

"So many people have left money to the League of Friends, in their wills and through other generous donations, specifically to make improvements to the hospital.

"To see our funds being used in such a constructive way is marvellous.

“The rooms look really lovely."

He added that it is "absolutely wonderful" to see the inpatient unit brought up to date, and to have its "future secured.

"No one wants to be in hospital but if you need to be it’s important that you are as comfortable as possible and it think that’s what we can offer in a way that wasn’t possible before at Brampton.”

Hillary Holland, also from the League of Friends added: “All the people who have left money in their wills for the benefit of the hospital are really having their wishes come true, it’s absolutely wonderful to see their money is making a huge difference to the hospital.”

Victoria Lithgow, deputy ward manager at Brampton hospital, said the staff are delighted to be back on the ward, and able to provide care in a more "comfortable and patient-focused environment.

"After spending eight months assisting on a variety of wards at the Cumberland Infirmary, many skill sets have been refreshed and developed which we are now able to utilise at Brampton," she said.

"Particular thanks go to the staff on Elm C with whom we spent our final weeks.”

The building works have been carried out by the local firm Postlethwaite builders.