The first patients are moving in to the £40 million redevelopment of Whitehaven’s West Cumberland Hospital today.
Patients from Copeland Unit and Loweswater Suite were due to move into the new area around 10am today, Monday September 23.
Other patients and departments will move over the next seven days and it is hoped everyone will be settled by the end of this month.
The redevelopment, although hit by a delay earlier in the year, is now ready. The opening of the new extension brings the four-year project to a close, building work to demolish part of the original hospital building began in 2020 and the first brick was laid on the new extension in May 2022.
Since then the project has moved rapidly using contemporary building methods and bringing modern day health care facilities to replace old and inefficient ward areas. The wards are all purpose built with their individual needs at the heart of the designs, designs which staff have been the driving force behind.
The new build includes:
- Loweswater Suite specialist palliative care unit: Located on the ground floor, this ward offers private rooms and access to a tranquil courtyard, providing a calming environment for patients and their families.
- Copeland Unit: This ‘stepdown’ community ward will have access to the therapy gym to prepare patients for returning home after a stay in hospital.
- Children and Young People’s Ward: This ward feature upgraded rooms with en-suite facilities, creating a welcoming and safe environment for children and Young People.
- Care of the Elderly Ward: Designed with dementia-friendly features, this ward includes six four-bed bays, eight en suite side rooms, and communal spaces to promote social interaction.
- Stroke Rehabilitation Unit: On the ground floor, this unit provides an outdoor rehabilitation area, private family room, and a mix of single rooms and bays to accommodate varying patient needs.
