The entrance for the Cumberland Infirmary’s A&E department will move from next Wednesday.
The new entrance will be operational from January 28 and is at the side of the hospital, near the ambulance bays.
The entrance will lead to a new waiting area for A&E.
Since April last year, patients have been accessing A&E via the main atrium entrance.
It was to allow building work to take place on a new urgent treatment centre.
Volunteers will be on hand at the main entrance to remind patients of the change and to help with directions, if needed.
Dr Claire Gray, emergency medicine consultant at the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said: “The new entrance and waiting area marks a milestone in the progression of the new urgent treatment centre at the Cumberland Infirmary which will open to patients in spring 2026.
“The urgent treatment centre will be an expansion of our urgent and emergency care facilities at the Cumberland Infirmary and it will improve the way we are able to care for patients who need urgent and emergency treatment.
By locating the urgent treatment centre next to our A&E we will be able to separate out major and minor injuries so the most appropriate care can be provided.
“Urgent care will be provided in one place with Cumbria Health (out of hours doctors) also set to move to the department.
“The new facility will provide 12 consultation rooms. The current emergency department was built with capacity for 30,000 attendances per year.
“Last year, it had 78,300 attendances which is more than two and half times its original capacity so we are delighted that we will be expanding the space we have.
“Until the urgent treatment centre opens in spring, we will continue to redirect patients to the most appropriate service for them if their condition is not an emergency.”
