Kentmere Ward is safe if staffed properly - Farron

An inspection by the CQC into mental health wards run by the Cumbria Partnership NHS Trust has found that they require improvement.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron - who successfully campaigned to keep the Kentmere ward at Westmorland General open last year - has highlighted that the improvements necessary are in staffing and not the physical space.

Commenting on the report, Tim said: "This report makes it clear that Kentmere ward is clean, well maintained with safe spaces for patients. The concerns that the CQC has are around psychiatric medical cover overnight and at weekends and the incident response systems.

"During our successful campaign last year, the Partnership Trust consistently told us that the Kentmere ward wasn't fit for purpose and was an unsafe space. This CQC report today paints a very different picture.

"The Partnership Trust need to take immediate action to improve staffing levels on the Kentmere ward - and given the CQC's comments, the Trust must not use this as an excuse to try and close the ward again."