Study into Cumbria's sex market
A report which provides an insight into Cumbria’s sex markets and confirms they are far less extensive than in other areas in the country.
Cumbria midwifery review criticised
A review into midwifery by North Cumbria NHS trust has been criticised by The Royal Colleges of Midwifes and Nursing and UNISON.
Patient health affected by appointment delays
More than 600 people may have suffered due to delays in outpatient appointments at Morcambe Bay NHS Trust's hospitals.
Live updates
Inspectors visit north Cumbria hospitals
A rapid response team is visting north Cumbria's two main hospitals to find out why they have higher than average death rates.
The team will speak to staff and patients ahead of the first of a series of public meetings tonight.
Tim Backshall reports:
Full report: ITV Border exclusive on Cumbrian health service expenses
Figures obtained by ITV Border have found that the North Cumbria Health Trust spent 8 million pounds in the past year on temporary doctors.
The so called locums are being relied upon because the troubled trust is struggling to recruit experienced doctors.
The Freedom Of Information request also found that one consultant was being paid £158 an hour.
One local MP has branded the figures 'astonishing'.
The trust says it will cut the number of locums used by 50%.
John Bevir has this exclusive report:
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Health figures "astonishing" says Carlisle MP
Figures obtained exclusively by ITV Border have found that the North Cumbria Health Trust spent £8 million in the past year on temporary doctors.
The Freedom Of Information request also found that one locum consultant was being paid £158 an hour.
Local MP John Stevenson has branded the figures as 'astonishing', but the trust says that recent recruitment issues are now improving.
The MP for Carlisle believes the drawn out merger process with the Northumbria Trust has created the problems:
Exclusive: Doctor in Cumbria paid £158 per hour
Figures obtained exclusively by ITV Border have revealed that the troubled North Cumbria NHS Hospital Trust spent £8 million on locum doctors in the past year.
The Freedom Of Information request found that in the past three years 527 of the temporary medical staff have been employed at the hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven.
The highest paid locum consultant was paid £158 an hour.
The figures have been branded as 'astonishing' by West Cumbrian MP Jamie Reed, who is also a Labour shadow health minister.
He believes that unless the problem is dealt with swiftly, "it will make the sustainability of services even harder".
In the past three years, the expenditure on locum doctors has varied wildly, with a significant rise in the past year.
North Cumbria NHS Trust expenditure on locum doctors:
2010 – 2011: £5.8 million
2011 – 2012: £4.95 million.
2012 – 2013: £7.96 million
Although total expenditure on locum doctors has risen, the hourly rates have actually fallen.
Highest hourly rates of pay for locum doctors:
2011 - £158.13 – Consultant Dermatologist.
2012 - £143.75 – Consultant Radiologist.
2013 - £112.95 – Consultant Gastro Medicine.
The trust are expected to comment on the figures later today.
North Cumbria Trust bottom of national survey
Only 35% of staff working at the hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven would recommend the treatment available there.
The NHS national survey of just over 100,000 staff members, found that of 161 NHS trusts in England, the North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust came bottom.
The Morecambe Bay Trust, which runs the hospitals in Kendal, Barrow and Lancaster also did badly, with only 49% of staff there recommending the treatment they offered.
In the survey, staff were asked to respond to the statement:
– NHS Staff Survey“If a friend or relative needed treatment, I would be happy with the standard of care provided by this organisation”
...and had to say whether they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed, strongly disagreed or had no view.
The figures published in the Daily Telegraph found that nationally, around 60% of NHS staff would recommend the treatment at their hospitals to friends and family.
Government advisors in Hawick and Galashiels this week
A twenty a day smoker spends on average £50 a week on their habit, enough to feed a family of four for a week.
This week the Scottish Government is sending experts in breaking nicotine addiction to pharmacies in Borders towns to give free advice.
Stand location details are:
Mon 21st Jan - Morrisons, Mart Street, Hawick
Tues 22nd Jan - Asda Currie Road, Galashiels
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Full report: 'Concerns' over hospital trust
A new report has found that the trust which runs hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven is amongst the worst in the country when it comes to mortality rates for the second year in a row.
The findings have been published by an independent health watchdog, which said patients should be concerned by what they have discovered.
Dr Foster findings
A new report has found that the trust which runs hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven is amongst the worst twelve in the country when it comes to mortality rates.
The findings have been published by an independent health watchdog.
John Bevir reports:
Health Minister says lessons must be learned
A new independent report says that the North Cumbria trust, which runs the hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven, is amongst the worst 12 in the country when it comes to mortality rates.
The Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter has said in an interview that it's important hospitals learn from the problems that have been uncovered.
Medical Director: "We've struggled"
The medical director for the North Cumbria NHS Trust, Mike Walker, told ITV Border that they've struggled to work under difficult circumstances: