‘Worrying A&E figures show time is right for Urgent Treatment Centre at Kendal’ – MP

Local MP Tim Farron says the latest worrying A&E figures underline how much an Urgent Treatment Centre is needed at Westmorland General Hospital.

Figures from the NHS show that Morecambe Bay Trust missed its A&E target again in January, with 1 in 5 people having to wait for at least 4 hours to se a doctor.

Tim has written to NHS England urging them to consider upgrading the PCAS unit at Westmorland General Hospital to an Urgent Treatment Centre which would allow more people to be seen who are in need of urgent care.

Tim said: "These latest figures hammer home just how badly needed an Urgent Treatment Centre is at Westmorland General Hospital.

"Local people are having to travel all the way to Barrow and Lancaster to be seen, but those hospitals are struggling to cope with the vast amount of people who are turning up to be treated.

"An urgent treatment centre would not be a full A&E but it would be an additional resource on top of the excellent service we currently have.

"It would make a massive difference to the staff at Kendal, and for the patients who'd be treated closer to home."