Cumbria Health

Cumbria Health is a not for profit organisation serving patients and visitors to the whole of Cumbria which equates to 499,900 population. Cumbria Health also cover a population of approximately 7,000 patients in North Yorkshire and 2,268 square miles in total. The two main population areas are Carlisle and Barrow with a spread of population across the county. 51% of the population live in rural communities.

Cumbria has 24 specific communities that are in the 10% most deprived in England and Wales, of which seven are in the worst 3%. Cumbria Health has a team of salaried and sessional GPs, triage nurses and nurse practitioners. The service covers seven locations across the county. Cumbria Health are co-located next to A&E Departments and various primary care facilities within community hospitals. There are twelve fully equipped vehicles on the road to meet the challenges of providing care to a rural community and also a remote prison.

Cumbria Health provide step up, step down care to ten community hospitals and two Community wards within the Acute Trust setting. Cumbria Health also run a successful GPR programme, investing in five days training per year to equip GPRs to work solo during the OOH period. Investment in training to deliver clinical pathways, i.e. DVT pathway has saved the Cumbria health economy consistently over the last four years. A rolling training programme is in place for all clinical staff which includes Telephone Consultancy, Safeguarding to Level 3, BLS and also refresher days for all clinicians.

Over the past 18 months Cumbria Health has developed further and begun to implement day time services in order to benefit the population of Cumbria. Cumbria Health run a successful Cardiology clinic on a fortnightly basis in the North of the County. The clinic is led by a Consultant Cardiologist alongside two GPSWI’s, who are training in a Diploma for Cardiology. Referrals are currently being accepting from the Eden and Carlisle localities. Patient satisfaction survey results are showing and reporting very positive results.

Cumbria Health also operate a day time home visiting services and residential home visiting services within Furness Locality. This service is in its infancy at the moment, initial reports show that it is running effectively and being received positively by the primary care community.