• Contact us
  • About us
  • Digital edition
  • Online archive
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith

    Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith

    Cumbrian firefighters tackle early hours barn blaze

    Cumbrian firefighters tackle early hours barn blaze

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith

    Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith

    Cumbrian firefighters tackle early hours barn blaze

    Cumbrian firefighters tackle early hours barn blaze

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest

More patients waiting for treatment at north Cumbria’s hospitals

by CWH
18 November 2021
in Latest, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

More patients joined the waiting list for routine treatment at north Cumbria’s hospitals in September, figures show.

The King’s Fund health think tank warned the NHS is “on its knees”, as the number of people waiting to start treatment across England reached another record high.

NHS England figures show 32,805 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective operations or treatment at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust at the end of September – up from 31,677 at the end of August.

The trust runs Whitehaven’s West Cumberland Hospital and the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, plus community hospitals.

This was also 33 per cent more than in September 2020, when there were 24,724 patients on the waiting list.

The median waiting time from referral to treatment was 13 weeks in September, compared to 15 weeks a year previously.

Nationally, 5.8 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September – the highest number since records began in August 2007, and the 12th successive record high.

Of them, 12,491 had been waiting longer than two years – more than four times the 2,722 patients waiting this long in April.

Deborah Ward, senior analyst at the King’s Fund, said: “Today’s stats reveal the worst performance since current records began for ambulance calls, A&Es and waits for planned hospital care.

“In a normal year any one of these would ring alarm bells; taken together before winter has even begun, they suggest a health and care system running hot for such a sustained period whilst still dealing with COVID-19, it is now on its knees.”

The Health Foundation said patient care was being impacted by delays to cancer treatment, record waits for ambulances and A&E, and an overstretched workforce.

Tim Gardner, senior fellow at the Health Foundation, added: “With waiting lists at an all-time high, millions of patients and staff are feeling the impact of a health system struggling to cope with demand.

“The Government has said that the NHS is under ‘sustainable pressure’, but it would be extraordinary to look at what’s happening in the NHS right now and claim that it is sustainable.

“That we are facing pressures this significant before we have reached the peak of winter is concerning, particularly as cases of seasonal viruses and rising staff absences are likely to add further pressure.”

Separate figures show 1.4 million patients in England were waiting for a key diagnostic test in September – the highest number since records began in January 2006.

At North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust, 14,421 patients were waiting for one of 15 standard tests, such as an MRI scan, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy at this time.

Of them, 7,694 (53 per cent) had been waiting for at least six weeks.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England national medical director said: “Despite high demand, NHS staff are going above and beyond to see more patients and deliver millions more tests, checks, treatments and operations.

“Increasing numbers are coming forward for treatment and this is expected to go up, but it remains really important people do not delay seeking help from the NHS if they feel unwell.”

A spokeswoman for North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “The NHS is trying hard to catch up after the pandemic. COVID-19 meant that we had to postpone some non-urgent procedures and our waiting lists have increased as a result. We are also experiencing high levels of emergency admissions and cancer referrals which is impacting on waiting times.

“We are reducing waiting times in a number of ways including opening a mobile Endoscopy Unit at the Cumberland Infirmary later this week, increasing the number of day-case procedures and providing additional theatre lists.

“Since March we have reduced the number of patients waiting over 52 weeks for a procedure by 45 per cent. However, we know people are still waiting longer than we would like and we understand that this is frustrating.

“We would like to reassure people on our waiting list that they have not been forgotten and we are prioritising the most urgent cases along with those who have waited the longest. We would like to thank everyone for their understanding as we continue to recover from the pandemic.”

Related Posts

Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith
Latest

Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith

17 July 2025
Cumbrian firefighters tackle early hours barn blaze
Latest

Cumbrian firefighters tackle early hours barn blaze

17 July 2025
Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed
News

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

11 July 2025
Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research
News

Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

11 July 2025
Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen
News

Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

11 July 2025
Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years
News

Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

11 July 2025
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Most popular

Looking back to 1986

Looking back to 1986

11 July 2025
Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

11 July 2025
Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

11 July 2025
Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith

Five boxes of nitrous oxide seized from car in Penrith

17 July 2025
Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

11 July 2025
Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

11 July 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Logo

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: news@cwherald.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • News
  • Sport
  • Farming
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Your view

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Photosales
  • Online archive
  • Buy your paper
  • Digital edition
  • North Lakes Living
  • Advertise
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
Review Your Cart
0
Discount
Add Coupon Code
Subtotal
Total Installment Payments
Bundle Discount
Checkout

 
0
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • more
    • North Lakes Living
    • Buy Photos
    • Buy your paper
    • About us
    • Contact us

© 2020 Cumberland & Westmorland Herald