North Cumbria Integrated Care

01/11/2026

📰 The latest member and stakeholder bulletin has landed.

This month's edition introduces our newly elected governors and contains details of new service developments. We've also been working with our partners in Pharmacy to promote Pharmacy First, and Carlisle United Football Club helped us to promote the flu vaccination programme.

Our North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity has launched the opportunity for people to take part in the Big Lotto for Health Charities, while supporting our local NHS charity.

Read it here: ncic.nhs.uk/trust/how-we-are-run/be-involved/member-stakeholder-bulletin

30/10/2026

We know how much the Keswick Urgent Treatment Centre means to local people and we are sorry to share that we need to temporarily close the service this weekend.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly but after reviewing all options we are unable to ensure the delivery of a safe service.

The closure will affect:

• Today Friday 30 October - when the UTC will close at 4pm
• Saturday 31 October 2026 – closed
• Sunday 1 November 2026 – closed

The UTC will reopen at 8:30am on Monday.

For advice and treatment, please contact NHS 111, your local pharmacy or your GP practice.

If you need urgent medical care while Keswick UTC is closed, the UTC at Penrith will be available between 8am-10pm on Saturday and Sunday, or the Emergency Departments at Cumberland Infirmary or West Cumberland Hospital which are open 24 hours a day.

We are extremely sorry for being unable to operate the Keswick UTC this weekend and would like to thank our community for their understanding. We remain committed to providing safe and effective care and are working hard to ensure that the Keswick UTC remains available to meet the needs of our community going forwards.

Thank you for your patience and support.

29/10/2026

Halloween is all about things that seem scary... but checking your breasts shouldn't be one of them 🎃

We know it can feel worrying to think about breast cancer, but regularly checking your breasts helps you understand what's normal for you and can make it easier to spot changes.

If something doesn't seem right, contact your GP.

29/10/2026

🎉 Win prizes at the same time as making a BIG difference to patients across North Cumbria! 💙

We’re excited to announce a new way to support North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity through the Big Lotto for Health Charities. Regular prizes of £1,000 can be won, with a rollover prize of up to £10,000! 🤩

Your support helps our charity fund the things that go above and beyond NHS budgets, from specialist equipment and new technology to improvements to hospital environments, wellbeing projects and research.

In 2024/25 alone, our hospital charity invested £242,169 in equipment, technology and wellbeing, all helping to make a difference for patients, families and our NHS teams.

The Big Lotto gives you another way to support this work, with entries costing just £1 and a draw every Friday. Yes, there are prizes to be won, but the biggest win is helping us do even more for patients across North Cumbria.

👉 Find out more and get involved: https://biglotto.org.uk/charities/nchc

28/10/2026

Open Day at West Cumberland Hospital for Consultant in Anaesthetics

The Trust is holding an open day at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven on Wednesday 9th December for candidates interested in becoming our next Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia.

Dr Mark Holliday, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia Whitehaven explains the benefits,
“Working in a smaller team means we encounter a broad range of clinical presentations and regularly link in with our wider anaesthesia and critical care departments. It also means we have a direct impact on service development and delivery for our rural and coastal population. Living and working in an amazing part of the world adds to a really successful work life balance.”

At NCIC you will benefit from:
• An enhanced supporting professional activity plan for a specialist interest contributing to departmental leadership and continuous improvement.
• Excellent research, teaching and innovative opportunities from our partnerships with the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine and our regional providers in the Great North Healthcare Alliance.
• A leadership development pathway from consultant right through to executive medical director.

The successful applicant will be encouraged to work across a range of anaesthetic areas and develop areas of interest. There will be the expectation of working at both West Cumberland Hospital and the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle hospital sites to encourage greater experience.

You will be working in some of our outstanding new facilities while exploring, adventuring and relaxing in the most beautiful surroundings with the Lake District on our doorstep.

Find out more online https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/consultant-jobs/consultant-opportunities-anaesthetics

27/10/2026

⭐ We're proud to share the below improvements in our cancer diagnosis and treatment times. While there is still more work to do, these results demonstrate the progress being made across our organisation and the commitment of our colleagues to improving patient care.

🏥 Great news for cancer patients in West Cumbria - with some of the biggest improvements in diagnosis and treatment times anywhere in England.

New NHS figures show that North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust, which runs the West Cumberland Hospital and Cumberland Infirmary, has made remarkable progress over the past year:

✅ Cancer diagnosis times: 74% of patients now receive a diagnosis or the all-clear within 28 days – an improvement of almost 20% on the previous year. Only FIVE other NHS trusts in England have made bigger improvements.

✅ Cancer treatment times: 78% of patients are now starting treatment within 62 days of referral, a 26% improvement – making North Cumbria the MOST IMPROVED NHS trust in the country over the past year.

Behind these figures are real people and families. Anyone who has experienced the worry of waiting for a cancer diagnosis knows how important every day can be.

A huge thank you to the brilliant NHS staff at our local hospitals who have worked so hard to deliver these improvements. 👏

There's still much more to do, but with the government's investment in our NHS and our new National Cancer Plan, we're determined to build on this progress, cut waiting times further and improve cancer survival rates.

Everyone in West Cumbria deserves timely, high-quality cancer care when they need it. That's what we're working to deliver.

27/10/2026

This half term, help keep your family protected.

Flu can spread quickly among children and they can easily pass it on to grandparents, siblings and other vulnerable family members. That's why the free nasal flu spray is so important.

If your child hasn't had theirs yet, now is a great time to arrange it.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/vaccination-and-booking-services/book-flu-vaccination/

Watch Helen Mattinson, Clinical Lead for School Aged Immunisation service, explain more in this short video 👇

26/10/2026

Winter often brings coughs, colds, sore throats and sinus infections. If you think you may need treatment for a sore throat or sinusitis, nip into your Pharmacy First.

Pharmacists can assess your symptoms and, where appropriate, provide treatment, including prescription-only medicines, without you needing to see a GP.

Choosing Pharmacy First can help you get the advice and treatment you need sooner, while helping to reduce pressure on busy urgent and emergency services. If it's a common winter illness, your local pharmacy is a great place to start and we’re ready to help you.

26/10/2026

Say “Boo to Flu!” this Halloween!

Don’t let the flu give your little pumpkin a fright! Keep them protected so they can enjoy spooky fun without the sniffles.

Children aged two to three can get a free flu nasal spray from their GP practice or community pharmacy It’s quick, safe, and needle-free!

Find out more and book today: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/

🎃

25/10/2026

After a lucky email mix-up led her to Mexico, anaesthetist Geetanjali shares what she learned from volunteering with Operation Smile.

Dr Geetanjali Verma, Clinical Director and Consultant Anaesthetist at NCIC, never expected to volunteer for Operation Smile. In a happy coincidence, she connected with Operation Smile's volunteer manager "by mistake, when the wrong e-mail was sent by chance."

But what a lucky mistake it was. That unexpected email led Geetanjali to a surgical programme in Puebla, which she describes as "an amazing experience".

She said: "Having felt well settled professionally, I wanted to find an opportunity to give back and use my clinical skills beyond my usual practice.

Having trained in Anaesthesia in India, I moved to the UK, where I achieved Fellowship of the College of Anaesthesiologists, The European Diploma in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care examination degrees and completed CESR, alongside progressing as a consultant anaesthetist and clinical leader. I had been exploring international volunteering opportunities for almost two years and was delighted to finally join Operation Smile UK for their surgical mission in Mexico this September."

While Geetanjali felt nervous before the programme, the Operation Smile team soon made her feel at ease. "Everyone was so nice. Every operating theatre had a resident, so I could teach some UK guidelines and emergency protocols for paediatrics."

She said: "The mission began with two days of pre-operative assessment, during which 213 patients were assessed and 90 selected for cleft lip and palate surgery, including primary and revision procedures. I was particularly impressed by the highly organised, comprehensive and patient-centred multidisciplinary approach, involving nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists, paediatricians, dental/oral teams, laboratory staff and dedicated childcare volunteers. Every child moved through each stage to ensure that safety, optimisation and treatment planning were prioritised.

She said: "I felt privileged to contribute the skills and experience I have developed over the years to patients who may otherwise have limited access to specialist care. Seeing patients and families return as volunteers was a powerful reminder of the impact healthcare professionals can have beyond their usual workplace."

Read more: https://Inkd.in/ejde27TR