| West Cumberland Hospital | |
| North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust | |
|---|---|
|
Shown in Cumbria
|
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| Geography | |
| Location | Whitehaven, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public NHS |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes[1] |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.ncumbria.nhs.uk/acute/hospitals/wch.aspx |
| Lists | Hospitals in England |
West Cumberland Hospital is a hospital in Hensingham, a suburb of Whitehaven in Cumbria.
Under the management of the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, together with the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, they serve 34,000 residents in north Cumbria.
In 1924, the Earl of Lonsdale sold Whitehaven Castle to Mr H. Walker, who then donated the building to the people of Cumbria, along with monies to convert it into a hospital to replace the Victorian Whitehaven Hospital.
By 1951, the hospital needed replacing, and representation were made to the UK Government. In 1957, approval was given to break ground on a new hospital, the first built in England following the creation of the National Health Service.[2] It was officially opened on October 21, 1964 by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Whitehaven Castle became a geriatric unit until 1986, when due to fire regulations, it had to close. It has now been converted to housing.
On 2 June 2010, a major incident was delared at the hospital in the aftermath of the 2010 Cumbria shootings.[3]