MP presents petition opposing cuts to out-of-hours GP service at Kendal

Last night in Parliament, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron presented a petition, opposing the decision to cut the overnight GP service from Westmorland General Hospital three nights a week.

In October, Cumbria Health On Call launched a three month ‘pilot’ where they have reduced the number of hours that an on-call doctor is based at Kendal’s hospital on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Instead, the out-of-hours doctors will be based at the Furness General Hospital in Barrow and Penrith & Eden Community Hospital.

This will mean significantly increased travel times for doctors to treat patients in the South Lakes.

Tim’s petition was signed by more than 1,900 local residents.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Tim said: “I rise on behalf of just under 2,000 of my constituents in Westmorland and Lonsdale who oppose, as do I, the decision to remove out-of-hours doctor cover at the Westmorland General Hospital on three nights of the week.

“That means that my constituents now need to wait for treatment to come from Barrow or Penrith, leading often to two-hour round trips, putting many people at risk.

“The petition declares opposition against the decision from Cumbria Health on Call to reduce the on-call doctor provision from Kendal overnight three times a week; further declares the essential service which overnight doctors at Westmorland General Hospital provide to the local community.

“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take into account the concerns of the petitioners and take immediate action to urge Cumbria Health on Call to restore the on-call doctor provision from Kendal.”