Cumbrian NHS trust gets green light for £12m extension
Approval has been granted for the construction of an urgent care facility adjacent to the emergency department at Cumberland Infirmary.
The £12m investment, to be located in the north-west corner of the hospital site, will see 12 consultation rooms and waiting areas housed inside a single-storey unit and provide a much-needed capacity boost.
Capacity is an ongoing issue at the hospital. Last year it reported 78,300 attendances, the hospital was built to serve only 30,000 patients.
Increased capacity is required to deal with extended waiting lists and rising accident and emergency admissions.
The scheme should be complete by the end of the year after work begins in the coming weeks.
Summit Town Planning submitted the application on behalf of the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. Full planning permission was granted by the local authority.
Designs for the centre were drawn up by architect P+HS Architects.
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Mike Rickards, consultant in emergency medicine at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Opening the UTC will help ensure patients are seen in the right place at the right time by the correct clinician.
“The centre will also provide great support to the main emergency department by freeing up capacity for patients who are acutely unwell.”
He added: “The centres will also help keep our emergency care departments free for what they are there for – emergencies.”
To view the application, use the reference number 24/0691 on Cumberland Council’s planning portal.
