A ceremony has taken place in Carlisle to celebrate the start of building of a £15m Endoscopy Unit on the grounds of the Cumberland Infirmary.
Once complete, the new endoscopy unit will be able to treat more patients, helping to reduce waiting lists and improve timely diagnosis, particularly for cancers.
Clinical leaders from the Trust were joined at the ceremony by construction partners from Ergea and Actiform and Carlisle MP Julie Minns to mark the start of the work.
Mr Daya Karat, consultant surgeon at NCIC, explains: “It’s really good news to see this project underway, as it will have such great benefits for our local communities across north Cumbria and for our staff.
“When it is up and running the new facility will have more clinic rooms that all meet modern standards which we are not able to meet in the current environment. Expanding our endoscopy service will help us to make faster diagnoses and meet the rising demand for the service. It also brings the Unit in line with what we already have at the West Cumberland Hospital following the redevelopment in 2015.”
Work is progressing very well the excavation of the original site is now complete and retaining wall structures are now starting to go up.
The Cumberland Infirmary currently has only one endoscopy room which is of a suitable size and two smaller rooms that do not meet national accreditation standards. The new build will include five clinical rooms as well as an outpatients area. The expansion of the service also means patients currently travelling to Newcastle for a procedure can be seen more locally in Carlisle.
The main benefits of the unit are:
- Patients will be able to access endoscopy faster - 99% of patients will receive their diagnostic procedure within six weeks of referral in line with national standards
- The additional rooms will have capacity to provide a further 30 lists per week avoiding unnecessary travel outside of the region
- Accreditation with the national Joint Advisory Group (JAG) on GI Endoscopy will be achievable, showing best practice and the highest of standards
Mr Karat, added: “As well as a better environment for patients, the unit will also provide improved training facilities for our staff. Any vacancies we have will be filled with mainly current staff who have expressed an interested in expanding their skills.
“Moving the unit out of its current location in the main hospital also frees up space to expand other departments at the Cumberland Infirmary which is a further positive for both staff and patients”
Julie Minns, MP for Carlisle said: “I am delighted to see this investment in facilities at the Cumberland Infirmary.
“When the unit is finished it will be an important step forward for this hospital and a key step towards bringing down waiting lists locally.
“Waiting for appointments and test results is a stressful time for everyone so I was pleased to hear from staff today how this new unit will help expand the Infirmary's endoscopy service and ultimately lead to faster diagnoses and reduced waiting times.
“It is important that the Cumberland Infirmary continues to provide first-rate services on a par with other regions. Investments like this will be a big help in ensuring we have a healthier population around Carlisle and North Cumbria which is one of the key challenges we face over the next few years.”
Ergéa, the vendor-neutral provider of Managed Services in the UK is working in collaboration with Actiform to bring us the new endoscopy unit, utilising the latest Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). This project is designed to meet high environmental standards and comply with national healthcare regulations.
John Wilkinson, Transformation Director from Ergéa UK said, "We are delighted to announce the launch of this project. This achievement is the result of our collaborative efforts with the Trust, where we identified a cost-effective and rapid solution designed to exceed current requirements for their new Endoscopy department.
“This brand-new Endoscopy Unit will increase the Trust’s capacity, upgrade procedure rooms, improve the patient’s experience for treatment and diagnosis, and help reduce backlogs in waiting lists. Most importantly, the new unit will ensure earlier cancer diagnosis and help improve survival rates”.
While work is underway, hoarding is up which is blocking access on the path to and from the hospital from the main car park. Visitors, patients and staff are asked to use the zebra crossing to the opposite side of the road and not walk on the road for their own safety.
The project is expected to be completed by March 2025.
