Healthcare in Cumbria

Healthcare in Cumbria is now the responsibility of Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group.

History

From 1947 to 1974 NHS services in Cumbria (which did not then exist) were managed by Newcastle Regional Hospital Board which covered Cumberland, and the part of Westmorland covered by the Borough of Appleby and the North Westmorland Rural District and the Manchester Board which covered the remainder. In 1974 the Boards were abolished and replaced by Regional Health Authorities. The whole of the newly created Cumbria came under the Newcastle RHA. Regions were reorganised in 1996 and North Cumbria came under the Northern and Yorkshire Regional Health Authority. South Cumbria came under the North West (Mersey & North West) RHA. Cumbria from 1974 had three District health authorities South, East and West In 1993 South Cumbria was renamed Morecambe Bay District, which also included Lancaster. One Primary care trust was established covering the whole the county in 2002. It was managed by the North West Strategic health authority from 2002 until 2013.

Cumbria CCG took on the responsibilities of the former PCT on 1 April 2013.

Public health

Suicide rates in the county are very high. In 2010-12, Copeland had the second-highest suicide rate in England, 15.5 per 100,000 people. The average rate in England was eight people per 100,000. In 2013-4 Barrow saw 251 admissions for self-harm, a rate of 372.9 people per 100,000.[1]

Primary care

There are 82 GP practices in the county.

Healthwatch Cumbria is an organisation set up under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to act as a voice for patients.

NHS providers

Mental health services in the county are provided by Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Acute hospital services are provided by North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust though some specialist services are provided in Newcastle and Manchester. The North West Ambulance Service covers the county. The low density of population causes great difficulty in acute services. Hugh Reeve,Chair of Cumbria CCG expressed the problem: "If you put the world’s best obstetricians in Barrow, in five years’ time they’ll become deskilled because there isn’t enough work for them."[2] The Furness General Hospital scandal has dominated discussion of maternity services in the area for several years.

Cumbria was named one of the 11 most financially challenged health economies in England in 2014.

In February 2015 it was announced that the Clinical Commissioning Groups planned for inpatient elective surgery at Westmorland General Hospital to be transferred to Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital. Up to six GP practices will be brought together with community services in Barrow at a cost of £12m.[3]

Lancashire North and Cumbria is one of the areas selected to pilot Integrated primary and acute care systems under the Five Year Forward View. [4]

Maternity

Maternity services in the county have been a particular problem. There are maternity units in Barrow, Whitehaven, Carlisle, Penrith, Kendal and Lancaster. In November 2014 the CCG invited the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to conduct a review a review of maternity services in Cumbria and the Morecambe Bay area.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "CONCERN OVER SCALE OF SUICIDES IN CUMBRIA". North West Evening Mail. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "'Challenged' areas recovery plans demand integration and reconfiguration". Health Service Journal. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Westmorland General Hospital to remain open - but could lose overnight surgery". Westmorland Gazette. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "NHS chief unveils 29 ‘vanguard’ areas in his new reforms". Independent. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "MATERNITY SERVICES IN CUMBRIA TO GET INDEPENDENT REVIEW". North West Evening Mail. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

External links