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£5m revamp for 'ageing' renal and gynaecology units

Federica BedendoNorth East and Cumbria
News imageNorth Cumbria Integrated Care Trust Entrance to the West Cumberland Hospital. The two-storey block has floor to ceiling windows and a sign above the automatic doors with the name of the hospital. The sign is blue with white lettering. There are buildings attached to either side of the entrance block. A green and white sign next to the path leading to the entrance indicates this is the main entrance.North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust
The trust said the current ageing units had "limited space"

A hospital has announced a £5.6m redevelopment of its ageing renal and gynaecology units.

The West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven will receive the funding from NHS England, with work expected to start "as soon as contracts are in place".

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC), which runs the hospital, said the current renal unit and women's outpatient department no longer met "the standards expected of a modern healthcare facility".

It said "limited space and ageing infrastructure" could affect capacity and service delivery and the renal unit could not meet "rising demand for haemodialysis" - a type of treatment to help patients with failing kidneys.

Seven more dialysis stations will be added as part of the development, which are used by patients three times a week for four hours at a time.

Dialysis patient Janice Stringer, from Arlecdon, said the renal unit was a "super important place" for her.

She said: "I'm still here because of it. I am so invested in this new unit, not only for me but for the staff as well, who care for us so well, but are under so much pressure due to the current set up."

News imageNCIC Dialysis patient Janice Stringer receiving her dialysis treatment at the West Cumberland Hospital. She is sitting in a hospital bed and she has tubes going into her arm from a dialysis machine. She has grey hair in a bob and wears glasses with a blue rectangular frame. She is wearing a white blouse and blue cardigan, which she only has round one shoulder, on the side which is not connected to the machine. She is smiling at the camera.NCIC
Dialysis patient Janice Stringer said the renal unit was a "super important place" for her

Haemodialysis sister at the hospital Annaliese Hunter said the changes would also improve privacy for patients.

"Our patients spend a lot of time with us, so it is so important they are in comfortable and welcoming environment," she said.

The trust said its women's outpatients department currently had outdated facilities and the maternity and gynaecology services were in the same place, which did not "represent a good patient experience".

Creating two separate units would protect patients' "privacy and dignity" as well as bringing the facilities up to modern standards, the trust said.

Clinical nurse specialist in gynaecology Lisa Lowe said it had been a "longstanding issue" at the hospital.

She said: "Preparatory work had started earlier in the year and we have been waiting for confirmation of funding to complete the work so it is fantastic that this is now in place to let us proceed with the full project."

NICI's executive director of estates Gavin Evans said the trust was working "at pace" to ensure work could begin as soon as possible.

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