The entrance for the A&E department at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary will move from next week.
The temporary move is to allow for work to continue on the hospital’s new £12 million urgent treatment centre.
From next Monday, April 28, patients needing to access the emergency department will need to come through the main front doors of the hospital and not the current A&E entrance.
Visitors should walk through the main hospital doors through the atrium and towards the Costa coffee shop. Turn left and pass the lifts and straight ahead into A&E.
Rectangular, red floor stickers will mark a pathway to the new entrance, with words and arrows. Volunteers will also be around to direct patients through the main hospital atrium.
Pop-up banners will also be in place near the volunteers desk and also near the lifts highlighting the need to turn left.
The closure will be in place until later this year.
Work began on the urgent treatment centre in February and it is hoped it will reduce pressure on the accident and emergency department.
The current A&E department was built with capacity for 30,000 attendances each year. Last year it had 78,300 attendances – more than two-and-a-half times its original capacity.
The new facility will provide 12 consultation rooms, ancillary staff areas, clinical storage space and patient waiting areas.
The single storey facility will include examination rooms, staff space, a waiting area and a rooftop plant room. It is being built by MTX Contracts Ltd.
Cumbria Health, which provides out-of-hours GP services will also be in the urgent treatment centre.
