£100million funding pot could give Kendal Urgent Care Centre green light

Plans for an Urgent Care Centre at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal received a boost following the announcement of a £100million funding pot for capital investment to relieve pressure on A&E services. South Lakes MP Tim Farron has written to the Health Secretary and to local health bosses to call for this project to be given the green light.

In last week's budget it was announced that there would be a £100million funding pot for capital investment in A&E departments. This funding is "to invest in measures to help manage demand on A&E services".

Tim is calling for an Urgent Care Centre to be set up in Kendal. At the moment, ambulance staff estimate that only around 1% of ambulance calls - around one ambulance per day - is able to go to the PCAS unit in Kendal. Patients can only be dropped off in Kendal between 8.30-22.00hrs. A 24hr Urgent Care Centre in Kendal which could deal with more serious cases would see this figure increase significantly, meaning only the most serious cases would have to go to the full A&E at Lancaster or Barrow.

Tim said: "Alongside enormous cuts to our NHS and the Chancellor's confirmation that £572million will be cut from local services by 2021, the budget also included a pot of money set aside for capital investment to tackle our A&E crisis. The government and local health bosses must now give the green light to plans for an Urgent Care Centre in Kendal. This proposal is exactly what is required.

"Month after month, the data shows the pressure that local A&E units in Lancaster and Barrow are under. Ambulances are left queueing outside, patients are left waiting in corridors inside, and the units are struggling to cope. An Urgent Care Centre in Kendal would relieve pressure on A&E units in Lancaster and Barrow, and mean shorter journeys for South Lakes residents."

Photo:

Tim with local ambulance workers who are backing the call for an Urgent Care Centre in Kendal