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£1.25 million for Keswick Hospital

Work is starting on a £1.25 million renovation and upgrade of Mary Hewetson Community Hospital in Keswick.

The project has received funding from NHS Cumbria, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Keswick Hospital’s League of Friends.

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Keswick hospital upgrade: Full report

Work has begun on a major renovation of Keswick Hospital.

It's part of a drive by NHS Cumbria to bring standards in community hospitals to new national levels.

The development will increase the range of services and cut down the number of patients having to travel long distances for simple procedures.

Ryan Dollard has the full report:

Work begins on Keswick hospital upgrade

Work has begun on a £1.25 million pound refurbishment of Keswick Hospital.

The project will increase the range and quality of services it's able to offer and save many patients travelling to Carlisle for treatment and operations.

The building work is expected to be completed by late spring with minimal disruption to existing services in the meantime.

NHS Cumbria believe that this will greatly increase the quality of healthcare available locally to people in the Keswick area:

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'Upgrade will take six months'

Helen Boit, Integrated Matron, Keswick, Cockermouth and Maryport. Credit: ITV Border

Helen Boit is the Integrated Matron for Keswick, Cockermouth and Maryport.

She said:

"Work has already begun and will take about six months to complete.

"The hospital will be open as usual during this time as work has been staged through the hospital has been planned carefully to ensure that current services can still operate with we hope as minimal disruption as possible."

Upgrade will feature a 'state of the art' facility

"Once complete we will have in Keswick a 'state of the art ' facility for both patients staying on the wards and for those patients and service users visiting in an outpatient capacity.

"The refurbishment will include a complete renovation of the inpatient ward area with much more comfortable living facilities including a dining room, living room and en-suite facilities in all rooms.

"The day hospital facility will be also updated for patients which provide people with prescribed education programmes and monitoring to keep them well and independent at home.

– Helen Boit, Integrated Matron, Keswick, Cockermouth and Maryport

Work to renovate Keswick Hospital gets underway

£1.25 million of work has begun to renovate Keswick's Community Hospital.

The Mary Hewetson Community Hospital in the town received money from NHS Cumbria, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Keswick Hospital’s League of Friends.

NHS Cumbria says that major building work has been planned to ensure that current services can still operate with as minimal disruption as possible.

When it's completed in six months' time, it's hoped the hospital will have an improved service for minor injuries and the management of in-patients.

The Friends will stay closely involved with the progress of the project which they feel will be of great benefit to patients, staff and the whole community of Keswick and District. The project will not constitute a ‘new build’ but will involve relocation and improvement of the facilities within the existing building structure.

It is proposed to provide almost all in-patient care in single rooms with toilet and shower en-suite. This has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infection.

– Dr Maurice Hamilton, Chairman, Keswick Hospital’s League of Friends

We are very excited about the plans for the refurbishment of the hospital. Once complete we will have in Keswick a ‘state of the art ’ facility for both patients staying on the wards and for those patients and service users visiting in an outpatient capacity.

The refurbishment will include a complete renovation of the inpatient ward area with much more comfortable living facilities including a dining room, living room and en-suite facilities in all rooms. It also include renovation of the minor injuries X ray, minor surgery and outpatients department.

– Helen Boit, Integrated Matron, Keswick, Cockermouth and Maryport

The work at Keswick’s hospital is part of the final phase of a three year, £7.6 million investment in Cumbria’s community hospitals, health centres and clinics.

The NHS Cumbria project is aimed at bringing all community hospitals up to CQC standards.

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