TOPIC: North Cumbria Hospitals In dire state....................

A PLANNED takeover of north Cumbria’s hospitals has been shelved.

The Success Regime said the acquisition of the Carlisle and Whitehaven hospitals by Northumbria Healthcare is “no longer appropriate”.

This is due to North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust’s dire financial position, poor performance and unsustainable services.

However Sir Neil McKay said the plan has not been scrapped in its entirety, and remains on the table as a future option.

In the meantime the trust will continue to receive support from Northumbria, with its existing “buddying” relationship being cemented in a formal legal contract. This is likely to include a commitment from Northumbria to deliver some specific clinical services, as well as allowing for joint appointments between trusts and shared services.

However there will also be much closer working with Newcastle, which will manage some cancer services and plans to bring its Great North Children’s Hospital to north Cumbria in some capacity.

In the longer term, the Success Regime will help draw up an organisational strategy as to how the hospitals should be run and by who.

There should be a PRIVATE INVESTIGATION,sorry i thought you said Dire Straits.

Money for nothing in my view