North Cumbria Integrated Care

09/02/2026

Turn on notifications for the NHS App to stay up to date with messages about your care.

The NHS App is a simple and secure way to receive messages from your trusted healthcare providers.

Find out more: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

https://youtu.be/R8otAic3xHY

In this video you can see how you can read your messages in the NHS App and manage notifications on your mobile phone to make sure you get a notification whe...

08/02/2026

💙 If you are pregnant it is important you stay up to date with your recommended vaccinations to protect you and your baby.

Melissa, one of our maternity nurses, explains more in this video…

06/02/2026

Thank you to Fliss for raising £350 for our North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity 💕

Fliss raised £350 to buy a wheelchair for the children’s ward 💙

Last summer, 13 year old Fliss, spent time on the Children’s Ward during two separate stays. While she was there, her family noticed how busy the ward could get. They saw that there were two children’s wheelchairs available, which was brilliant, but they wondered if more might be needed during peak times.

During her stays, Fliss also enjoyed the crafts, books and games on the ward. She especially loved spending time with Jane, play specialist, who made sure she always had something fun to do.

After going home, Fliss decided she wanted to thank the staff who had cared for her and her family. She set a goal to raise £300 for to help buy another children’s wheelchair for the ward. With help from her Grandma, sister Tilly, and friends, she organised a bake sale and created handmade crafts on her sewing machine to sell at her old primary school’s Christmas Fair.

Thanks to her hard work, the fundraiser reached £350. The money will help buy a new wheelchair, and anything left will go towards toys, crafts and other essentials for young patients.

Fliss’s mum Claire said: “The staff on the ward were amazing. They looked after our whole family, and we felt very cared for. They are an absolute credit to the NHS, and we felt very safe in their care.”

Fliss’s kindness and determination have made a real difference for other children who will use the ward in the future.

06/02/2026

The Keswick Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) will be closed todayon Friday 6 February.

The UTC at Penrith and A&E Departments at the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital are still open as usual.

Penrith UTC is equipped to diagnose and treat many of the most common ailments. A&E have to prioritise the most serious cases first so if your condition is less serious, but cannot wait until you can see a GP, a UTC may be the best place for you. Penrith UTC is open daily from 8am until 10pm.

Use our emergency care hub to keep an eye on waiting times across our departments: ncic.nhs.uk/locations/emergency-care-hub

We are grateful to everyone for their support and help 💙

05/02/2026

Norovirus is circulating at the moment, here’s how to stop it spreading and how to treat at home 🤒

Norovirus (the winter vomiting bug) spreads very easily. Most people will get better at home with rest and fluids.

To stop the spread:
• Wash hands with soap and water (hand gel doesn’t work on norovirus)
• Clean toilets, taps and surfaces regularly
• Wash clothes and bedding on a hot wash
• Keep children off school/nursery for 48 hours after symptoms stop

Keeping well at home:
• Have small, frequent sips of water to avoid dehydration
•Get plenty of rest and offer plain foods when they’re ready
• Paracetamol can help with aches or fever (follow age guidance)

Most people will recover quickly, but staying at home and focus on hygiene helps protect others too. 💙

05/02/2026

We’re encouraging our communities to make the most of the new and enhanced Cumberland Go bus routes now running across the area.

The 600 now directly connects West Cumberland Hospital and the Cumberland Infirmary 🏥 and the 22 / 22A is improving local access to WCH.

🚍 Three months in: Have you tried Cumberland’s new bus routes yet?

We’re encouraging residents to make the most of the 18 new and enhanced Cumberland Go bus routes now running across the area. These services were launched in three phases across November 2025, December 2025, and January 2026, and they’re already transforming how people get around.

With more frequent services, new Sunday links, upgraded routes, and greener, more reliable connections between towns, villages, hospitals, schools, and community hubs, the expanded network is making everyday travel easier.

Early data shows passenger numbers up by as much as 50% on some routes!

💛 This is a huge step forward for accessible, reliable, sustainable public transport across our region.

Find your route and get on board: www.cumberland.gov.uk/bus-timetables

05/02/2026

Just leaving this here if you need it 🩵 Today is , get involved and share this post to remind others that it's okay to reach out for help 💭

04/02/2026

A huge thank you to breast cancer patient Cheryl Corson who braved the shave this weekend and has raised over £3000 for the Eden Breast Unit North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity.

She came to say thank you to the Eden Breast Cancer Unit today on World Cancer Day. We are so grateful Cheryl Corson and best wishes for the rest of your treatment 🩶 🩷

Cheryl Corson, who is battling breast cancer, braved the shave to raise money for Eden Breast Unit in Carlisle, via our North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity 💕

Cheryl Corson had her hair shaved last week ahead of her chemotherapy. She streamed the shave live on Facebook at a party attended by family and friends: facebook.com/share/v/1CBZrT5QG9/

She has already raised a huge £3,180 for the unit. Cheryl is also donating the hair she had removed to the The Little Princess Trust, which is a charity that provides free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.

Cheryl, 42, said she was determined to use her own fight to help others.

She said: “The Eden Breast Unit is amazing. They give you post-surgery bras and other support, but they don't get them on the NHS – those are donated by charities. And in other places, people don't get them at all. You've got to go and buy your own after your surgery. Lots of people aren't in the position where they can do that.

“I just thought I’d raise some money and do it for the Eden Breast Unit. They can do what they want to do with those funds and hopefully it can make somebody else's journey a bit easier.”

You can still support by donating to Cheryl's Just Giving page: justgiving.com/page/cheryl-corson-4

04/02/2026

Today, on World Cancer Day, we are urging you to attend lung health checks when invited 🫁

The lung health screening programme in north Cumbria is successfully detecting lung cancer earlier in line with the NHS National Cancer Plan published by NHS England today.

The programme first launched in 2024 in north Cumbria, with a clear ambition: Reach people early, detect disease sooner and change lives across our community.

A year on, the results speak for themselves, not just in numbers, but in the real life impact the programme has had on those who have taken part:

• 12,227 eligible participants invited to take part in the screening programme.
• 7,472 have had a lung health check completed
• 3,886 participants were identified to have a low-dose CT scan
• 40 stage 1 or stage 2 lung cancers have been detected
• Six other cancers detected including breast and renal cancers

Dr Mary Hewson Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at NCIC, said:

“The lung health screening programme is saving lives; this programme fits perfectly with the NHS 10-year plan to prevent rather than treat. We are urging anyone who is invited for a check to please take up the offer and come and chat to one of the team. We’ve had a great response so far, but there is still more to do.

“From the CT scans, 1,617 participants have had incidental findings, including heart issues. Each of these findings represents an opportunity for earlier intervention, better management, and ultimately improved long‑term health.”

The first year has laid a strong foundation for the programme and the team is aiming to have reached all eligible participants across our region by February 2028. The programme will continue to expand and the impact on our local communities will grow.

https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/news/public-urged-attend-lung-health-checks-world-cancer-day

03/02/2026

🎉Our Chief Nurse (Dr Gill Findley) and Chief Pharmacist (Hadar Zaman) have joined University of Cumbria as visiting professors. Read more ⬇️

NEWS: University of Cumbria appoints new healthcare Professors. University of Cumbria has recently appointed two new professors to help shape the future workforce for nursing, midwifery, pharmacy and allied health professions. https://brnw.ch/21wZCm9

02/02/2026

😷 Mask wearing guidance lifted

Following a reduction in outbreaks and respiratory viruses in our hospitals, our mask wearing guidance has been reviewed today.

• Visitors are no longer required to wear a mask when visiting loved ones
• Staff are no longer required to wear masks at all times in patient areas (with the exception of outbreak areas)

However, masks are still available for any patients or visitors who would like to wear one.

We are still seeing winter bugs circulating and we all have a role to play in keeping everyone safe. If you do feel unwell, please don't visit your loved ones in hospital as they are more vulnerable and infections are more serious for those who are already unwell. It also contributes to staff sickness.

Washing your hands regularly and properly is also a very effective way to stop the spread of harmful germs. Good hand hygiene, the simple task of cleaning hands at the right time and in the right way, can save lives.

Please check our website for the latest details of any current outbreaks and visiting information across the Trust: ncic.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/information-hospital-visitors

Thank you for your support and doing your part to keep everyone safe.

01/02/2026

Unfortunately our Urgent Treatment Centre at Penrith will close a little early this evening. Due to key staff being unavailable we will close at 8pm rather than the usual 10pm. We apologise for any inconvenience.