A gas plant that provides heat and power to Sellafield has successfully demolished redundant fuel tanks. Located close to the Sellafield site, the Fellside Combined Heat and Power Plant raises steam and generates electricity to support Sellafield’s operations. It recently completed a major project by removing a pair of large obsolete fuel tanks, making way… Continue reading Redundant tanks successfully removed

On the build up to another bank holiday, Cumberland Council is reminding residents how to access its services. Some offices – including Carlisle’s Civic Centre and Cumbria House, Allerdale House in Workington, and Market Hall in Whitehaven – will be closed on Monday 29 May. Online services will be available at www.cumberland.gov.uk. The main customer number… Continue reading Cumberland Council bank holiday arrangements

Officers are investigating an incident whereby a number of vehicles have been damaged. The damaged caused has been to the tyres which have been pierced. This occurred on Wednesday 14 May 2023 at around 10:30pm on Schneider Road, Barrow-in-Furness opposite Victoria Motors. Police are looking to speak to any people who may have witnessed this… Continue reading Local Appeal – Vehicles damaged Schneider Road, Barrow

Residents from across Lancaster, Morecambe and South Cumbria who need to access mental health help and support are now able to via one number, 24 hours a day, from today. Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust has launched a new service that can be accessed through  a new freephone number – 0800 013 0710 – so that everyone will be able to easily access urgent or general mental health support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The team may arrange for you to receive support over the phone or for a mental health practitioner to see you at home, at a GP practice or another mutually agreed place to allow further information about current mental health needs. Information about other services that could assist will also be shared, if appropriate. This new approach will help improve access to mental health services – particularly during evenings and weekends – across Lancaster, Morecambe and South Cumbria where there are over half a million residents, and is part of a wider programme of work across the health system, to transform access to mental health services for local people and their carers who have a mental health need or are experiencing a mental health crisis. Chris Oliver, Chief Executive at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is a major improvement for the residents of Lancaster, Morecambe and South Cumbria who need to access help and support from our mental health services. “This new freephone number means people will be able to access practical advice and emotional support from qualified mental health practitioners and where appropriate, access to the right services in a more timely way.” The Trust has worked with GPs and representatives from the voluntary sector, as well as other key stakeholders across the health system to develop this approach to make sure it meets the needs of patients and service users. Chris continued: “This approach will mean we are better able to meet the varied needs of anyone trying to access mental health support. Whether it be an immediate response, routine appointment booking or even advice on how to access additional information, people will be able to call one phone number and receive the support they need.” The new approach to accessing mental health services is managed within a call centre setting, based at East Barn, Lancaster and is made up of a team of call handlers and mental health practitioners who take calls and manage referrals from patients, service users, families, carer’s and professionals, aiming to ensure callers are connected to the right professional in a timely manner. There are two satellite bases – one at Kendal (Westmorland Hospital) and one at Barrow in Furness which have mental health practitioners based out of. In addition, a partnership between Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust and SignVideo, the leading British Sign Language (BSL) Video Remote Interpreting and BSL Video Relay Service Provider in the UK, means that people from the deaf community living across Lancaster, Morecambe and South Cumbria are able to access the Trust’s mental health services whether for urgent or general mental health care, via the support of an interpreter by visiting the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust website. For further information about Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust please visit the website. You might also like Get in touch Our hospitals Parking and facilities Services A-Z Visiting times Wards A-Z  

The Met Office forecasts great conditions for the last week of spring, but pours scorn on tabloid speculation for intense heat. The area of high pressure which has brought fine conditions across the UK over the last few days is forecast to extend out toward the end of the month. Media speculation has concentrated on… Continue reading Settled conditions set for last week of spring

Nationally acclaimed journalist and author Simon Reeve has hailed a Cumbria-led drive taking forward ambitious net zero goals as having national and international significance. He said Eco-I NW’s unique mission to bring Co2e savings to a raft of businesses and organisations had a ripple effect that would go far beyond the region. Highlighting the end… Continue reading TV personality hails Cumbrian eco mission

This week in Parliament, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron met with Bruce Parker, Head of Planning & Development, North West at National Highways, to ask for vital safety improvements to be delivered on the A590. During the meeting, Tim pushed for progress on plans to introduce speed cameras and lower speed limits on those sections of… Continue reading MP presses National Highways to crack on with safety improvements to A590

NHS clinicians in Lancashire and South Cumbria are calling on people with weakened immune systems to come forward for their spring COVID-19 booster vaccination, to top up their protection against the virus. The number of over-75s who have already received their booster jab is in line with previous phases of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, and… Continue reading People with weakened immune systems in Lancashire and South Cumbria urged to take up spring booster offer

Another bank holiday is just around the corner, and the NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria is reminding people to make sure they have ordered their repeat prescriptions ahead of the extended weekend (Monday 29 May). GP practices and many pharmacies will be closed for the duration of the weekend, so it is important to make sure prescriptions are requested in good time to avoid being without vital medication. As well as ordering in your traditional way, patients are also being reminded of the benefits of using the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions at a time and date convenient to them. Some of the other useful features available on the app enable patients to view their GP health record, nominate their preferred pharmacy, find local NHS services and get health advice via 111 online. It is also a handy way to check which local services are available over the bank holiday. Kath Gulson, chair for the Local Professional Network for Pharmacy across Lancashire and South Cumbria, said: “The NHS App offers a digital ‘front door’ for interacting with your GP practice and local community pharmacy, and enables patients to access services on the go or from their own homes. “Bank holidays are typically a busy time for health services, so it is important to order repeat prescriptions as soon as possible – either through the app or through your GP practice or pharmacy – to ensure there is enough time to prepare your prescription ready for you to collect your medicines from the pharmacy. “If you need care during the bank holiday weekend, call 999 in life threatening emergencies and use NHS 111 online for other health concerns.” For more information about the NHS App, visit nhs.uk/nhs-app or download from the App Store or on Google Play. Another option for people with a long-term repeat prescription is to ask their GP about electronic repeat dispensing, which can allow a doctor to sign off 12 months’ worth of prescriptions at once, which means prescriptions will be ready for collection whenever they need it without the need to place their regular order with their GP practice. GP practices usually require a minimum of 48 hours’ notice to issue a repeat prescription, and community pharmacies also generally need between 24 and 48 hours. Some local pharmacies will be open on bank holidays and are able to provide expert advice and deal with minor ailments and illnesses. Details of which pharmacies will be open on the bank holiday are available at www.lancashireandsouthcumbria.icb.nhs.uk/our-work/your-local-services.