A UNION responsible for representing nurses has described the situation as “very serious” at north and west Cumbria’s NHS trust as staff deal with “unprecedented demand” due to coronavirus. The Royal College of Nursing has spoken with nurses serving on the frontline across the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. The NHS definition of the conditions triggering an Opel 4 Alert state: “Pressure in the local health and social care system continues to escalate leaving organisations unable to deliver comprehensive care. There is increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised.” Speaking after a surge of Covid-19 admissions at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary, Glenn Turp, regional director for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said: “The situation is very serious. NHS Trusts and health and social care providers across Cumbria are trying their best to cope with unprecedented demand.
Health boss: Colin Cox CARLISLE still has the county’s highest Covid-19 infection rate - though the more virulent new variant of the virus is fuelling a surge in cases across Cumbria. Colin Cox, the county’s Director of Public Health, says the new strain is probably responsible for at least 75 per cent of cases in Carlisle and west Cumbria. In South Lakeland, the variant is being blamed for at least half the cases. “We’re seeing the impact of Christmas feeding through and we will also then see the impact of the New Year,” said Mr Cox. In Carlisle, the current infection rate per 100,000 of population is just above 1,100.
Outpatient appointments suspended at Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital
Outpatient appointments at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and Whitehaven’s West Cumberland Hospital have been suspended for two weeks from today due to COVID-19.
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals, has announced it has suspended the appointments,  unless it is urgent.
The trust said: “As the number of patients with COVID-19 continues to increase, the difficult decision has been made to suspend  outpatient clinics.
“Urgent appointments will still go ahead and will be assessed on a case by case basis.
“This will be for a period of two weeks and reviewed on a weekly basis. This will enable us to redeploy medical staff to the wards where extra support is required at this time.
TWO MPs have urged the public to stick to the rules as pressure intensifies at the their local hospitals. The News & Star revealed on Sunday the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS NHS Foundation Trust which runs the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and Whitehaven’s West Cumberland Hospital had been placed into Opel 4 Alert. The NHS definition of the conditions triggering an Opel 4 Alert state: “Pressure in the local health and social care system continues to escalate leaving organisations unable to deliver comprehensive care. There is increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised.” My interpretation on what they said is it is very challenging at their hospitals, but they are managing things and managing to cope, explained Carlisle MP John Stevenson.