Border West Cumberland Hospital News

A rehabilitation unit at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven is closed to admissions, due to an outbreak of flu.

Visiting has also been restricted at the Copeland Unit after 12 patients ans 6 staff members caught the seasonal bug.

The unit is designed to provide further care to patients who have already been in hospital by offering rehabilitation before discharge.

According to the Health Protection Agency, flu is most common between December and March.

Anyone with questions about patients can contact the Copeland Unit on 01946 693181.

Health professionals are advising people what to do if they catch the bug:

"Flu can be serious and cause serious health complications in people with existing health conditions.

"This includes children and adults with existing conditions from diabetes to cancer, pregnant women, where both mother and baby can be at risk, and people aged 65 and over.

"The best way people can protect themselves is by having the flu vaccine. It's freely available for people in at-risk groups and it only takes a few minutes.

“For others who are normally fit and healthy who catch the bug, the best advice is, for them to stay at home."

• UK
• Copeland Unit
• Closed

Two men from west Cumbria are planning quite a feat of endurance, to raise money for the cancer unit at their local hospital.

Colin Stables and Graham Thompson hope to run 300 miles from London to Maryport in nine days. Samantha Parker reports.

• UK
• West Cumberland hospital
• Cumbria

Friends Colin Stables and Graham Thompson are about to start a gruelling challenge which will see them run for more than six hours a day for nine days.

They're aiming to raise thousands of pounds for the Henderson Suite at the West Cumberland Hospital to support their work with cancer patients.

We've both seen first hand the work the team do at the Henderson Suite. Earlier this year we lost a friend to cancer. If people can find the strength to fight cancer we can find the strength to do this run.'It will be a comforting thought to know that we might make some sort of difference with the money we are raising. It could go towards saving a life, it's just knowing you're making a difference really.'

The duo have spent months training for the run which they start in London tomorrow and finish in Maryport on December 2nd.

The first three days of the challenge have flood warnings in the areas they are running.

'I'm going to pack my flippers and my snorkel. We're just going to put our heads down and help get each other trough. It wouldn't be a challenge if it was easy and hopefully we won't get too waterlogged on the way. Keeping the reason why we are raising the money in our minds will help us get back to Maryport. That's enough motivation.'

The pair will cover a distance of more than 300 miles and have so far raised £1,200, they hope that figure will rise the closer they get to Maryport.

• UK
• West Cumberland hospital
• Cumbria

He may have spent 175 days in intensive care at the West Cumberland Hospital last year, but this time Fleck Ditchburn was back at the hospital - willingly and with a smile on his face.

Fleck has Motor Neurone Disease and he was back to deliver some new equipment, all paid for by his fundraising for the hospital.

He raised some of the money by being pulled up a mountain in his wheelchair.

You can watch the full report from Samantha Parker below.

• UK
• Fleck Ditchburn
• motor neurone disease

Workington Town rugby league player and hospital worker Marc Shackley has been branded a hero after helping heart attack victim Yvonne Matthews make a rapid recovery from a coma.

Rugby fan Yvonne had been unconscious for three weeks until Marc spent time at her bedside talking sport and giving her signed photos.

Now she's back home on the road to recovery and says it's all thanks to Marc

• UK
• Rugby league
• Cumbria

A much-needed redevelopment of the West Cumberland Hospital has finally been given the go-ahead after two years of planning.

Work on the ninety-one million pound project could begin before the end of the year, with the new hospital up and running by 2015. It will reduce the number of patients having to travel to Carlisle or Newcastle for operations

• UK
• West Cumberland Hospital
• West Cumbria

The West Cumberland Hospital is to benefit from a £91.6m investment for redevelopment. HM Treasury has approved the funding.

The Government will provide £71.6m. North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust and the North of England Strategic Health Authority will provide a further £20m.

The money will be used in the redevelopment of the Whitehaven based facility.

The bid to provide a new hospital for West Cumbria began in March 2009. Demolition work started in January 2010 to prepare the site.

The redevelopment will be at the Whitehaven facility, plans includes:

• A new A&E Unit, accessible by helicopter
• Improving patient comfort
• New wards with Lake District views
• Increasing the proportion of single rooms
• Refurbishment of the women's and children's unit
• Improving parking facilities by demolishing old buildings

“We are only one of three hospital trusts nationally to secure capital funding for a rebuilding project in the National Health Service. I am personally delighted that West Cumbria was at the top of this list.”

“A new hospital for West Cumbria has been long awaited. The redevelopment will create a gold standard healthcare facility that will be fit for the 21st century and offer a first class environment from which our staff can deliver modern high quality care to the local population."

• UK
• West Cumberland Hospital
• Lake District