Exciting plans have been unveiled to upgrade the Children and Young People’s unit at West Cumberland Hospital, (WCH) making sure it was able to meet the needs of children and young people in West Cumbria both now and in the future.

The Children and Young People’s service will be relocating to the new-build once phase two of the £40m redevelopment of the hospital is complete.

The design of the brand new ward is intended to ‘future proof’ the service and allow children, young people and their families to be supported and cared for in a welcoming environment.

The design was a collaborative project between staff from the area, with patient and family feedback taken into consideration every step of the way.

Ben Frampton, lead nurse for children and young people, said: “This is an exciting time for our team. We have had a lot of input into the design of the new ward and wanted to be sure we are putting patients, families and staff at the heart of what we do by listening to all of their views.

“When asked to contribute to ideas for the design of the new ward we wanted to guarantee it worked for our patients and their families. No one wants to have to bring their child to hospital, but if you do find yourself here you want to be cared for in the best environment possible.

“We asked our patients and families what they felt would make the most difference to their stay and the answer was, unequivocally, access to a separate kitchen area. Parents and carers who might have an extended stay here want somewhere they can prepare food or simply make themselves a coffee. It was important to us to take this idea forward and have their voices heard.”

The new ward will also benefit from two designated mental health rooms for children or young people who may need mental health support. The addition of these rooms is essential in providing safe and appropriate care to children and families. These rooms are a necessity for children and young people and are a first for the unit.

Ben added: “We’ve seen more and more children in the last few years who need support with their mental health. It was important to make sure that the new-build catered to the needs of these patients. We wanted separate areas which we could use to create a calm and safe environment away from the rest of the ward.”