By Gillian Ellison

Last updated at 14:37, Thursday, 29 July 2010

A £10million shortfall for West Cumberland Hospital’s redevelopment will not affect patient services say health bosses.

It has been confirmed that the cash – which was earmarked for a state-of-the-art training and research centre on the hospital site, linked to the nuclear industry – is not available. The facility will therefore not go ahead.

The money was due to come from the North West Development Agency which is to be disbanded under public spending cuts by the new coalition government.

The rest of the hospital’s funding – £90 million – is secure.

The news comes at a time when there is a huge shake-up of the NHS nationally which could mean future changes to what is provided in West Cumberland Hospital.

Health chief Carole Heatly said the research facility would have been a unique selling point for the hospital in recruiting and retaining staff.

“I am disappointed but I’m not devastated about it,” she told The Whitehaven News this week. “It was an opportunity to make us unique because of the links with nuclear. We thought that it would have been a big magnet to recruit the best.

“We are very disappointed but not entirely surprised because the county’s economy has to cut its cloth accordingly.”

Ms Heatly, chief executive of North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust, said the money had to be specifically spent on research and development and was not direct funding for services or inpatient beds.

The Trust is now exploring all other avenues and talking to the nuclear industry, as well as MP Jamie Reed.

“There’s always the possibility that the nuclear industry may be interested in an educational and research link with the hospital and they may well have the money to make that happen,” said Ms Heatly.

She said hopes for a health campus spin-off were not dashed as a result of this funding blow. The Trust still wants a primary care facility such as GP surgery on site as well as a mental health facility and other services, she said.

At the same time a huge shake-up is taking place within the NHS under the new coalition government.

GPs are to be in charge of commissioning services for patients instead of primary care trusts from April next year because the Government believes they are best placed to know community and patient needs.

It means local GPs will be very much involved in the hospital redevelopment plans and commissioning services for patients in West Cumbria.

And it means plans for the redevelopment of the hospital – set out in Closer to Home – could be ‘tweaked’ following discussions between consultants, bosses and GPs.

Closer to Home sets out what would be in the hospital following extensive public consultation. It concluded that there would be 220 beds (including the 20 community beds) with the option of increasing that to 250 if necessary. There was also reassurances given over emergency surgery, the stroke unit, children’s services, palliative care and many other services.

Ms Heatly said: “The plan at the moment is that everything in Closer to Home is in our hospital. There are no changes to the plan at the moment. Things develop, things change but as we speak right now, we are still planning on the lines of Closer to Home.

“I am confident that we will have a hospital that meets the needs of the community.

“There are new developments all of the time and that is why it needs to be fluid and we need that constant dialogue.

“The design of the hospital is really flexible.”

She added: “Closer to Home was a moment in time. What the public was consulted on in Closer to Home is absolutely planned to be in the hospital. But everything is fluid in healthcare.”

“We have a strong relationship with GPs and they have demonstrated that commitment to support the local hospital,” said Ms Heatly.

“If we can continue to demonstrate high quality services and value for money, the GPs I am sure will continue to support us as their preferred provider.”

Ms Heatly said GPs and hospital consultants had been meeting and developing close working relationships for some time. She said it was now about strengthening that relationship and working together for the benefit of patients.

“It’s a huge opportunity and is really exciting. It is an opportunity to get things right and future proof this hospital,” she added.

First published at 15:43, Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk