'Positive future' for West Cumberland Hospital, say bosses

The West Cumberland Hospital has "a positive future", according the Health Trust which runs it.

The North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust has issued a statement ahead of a public meeting tonight in which hundreds or even thousands of protestors are expected to question officials. Because of the high numbers Whitehaven's rugby league ground is being used to host the event, with a makeshift stage being put up at one end of the pitch.

Protestors, who marched through the streets of Whitehaven in the summer, are worried that as a new hospital is built in the town, some services may be transferred to Carlisle.

The Trust says only high risk emergency surgery has been moved and that is because there aren't enough qualified staff in Whitehaven to carry out those operations safely in west Cumbria. Such services as trauma, orthopaedic, and cardiac cases have moved. It says as a result mortality rates in west Cumbria have fallen.

The Trust also claims that more general operations will be carried out in Whitehaven when the new hospital is finished in December.

The public meeting starts at 7pm.