Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC), Peter McCall, is urging drivers to stay aware on Cumbria’s roads this Easter weekend.   The county’s roads will see an influx in traffic this weekend, making drivers more susceptible to accidents. Many of Cumbria’s roads are rural and narrow, often being only one lane wide, and can… Continue reading PFCC urges drivers to stay aware this Easter weekend

A 28-year-old man who lives in Barrow has been sent to prison after being convicted of a string of offences elating to inciting and attempting to incite children to engage in sexual activity. Razvan Ioan Voda, 28, of Hartington Street in Barrow was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday (5 April) at Preston… Continue reading Man who posed as child online in attempt to lure young girls is jailed

An additional 169 police officers have been recruited in Cumbria as the force celebrates achieving the national Police Uplift Programme target. At the beginning of the Uplift programme, the Home Office set Cumbria Constabulary a target of recruiting an additional 169 police officers in less than four years. These figures are on top of anticipated… Continue reading More than 160 additional officers join Cumbria’s ranks in less than four years

Peter McCall officially became Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) on Saturday 1 April 2023, taking on the governance responsibility for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS). The transfer follows the Government announcement that Cumbria would be divided in to two unitary authorities from April 2023, which has now replaced the six district councils… Continue reading PCC officially takes on governance responsibility for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service

Residents of Lancashire and South Cumbria will be able to book their spring COVID-19 booster this week. The NHS has kicked off the next phase of its vaccination programme with a spring campaign to protect the most vulnerable, starting in care homes. Those living in care homes are being prioritised and have begun to receive… Continue reading NHS launches spring COVID-19 jab campaign for most vulnerable people

Full fibre broadband company Fibrus, who is currently rolling out their network in Cumbria, is delighted to announce its partnership with the Cumbria Community Foundation. This new fund, which launches today and is named the “Fibrus Community Fund Cumbria” aims to award funding to local communities in need of support. The fund’s main goal is… Continue reading New fund to address digital poverty

British Medical Association (BMA) and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) members will take part in a four-day strike from 6.59am Tuesday 11 April to 6.59am Saturday 15 April. The 96 hours of industrial action by junior doctors will come on the back of the Easter bank holiday, during which some services will be closed, and high levels of staff are on annual leave due to school holidays. The days leading into and immediately after bank holiday weekends are usually challenging for the NHS, so significant disruption to services is expected. It is vital the public is aware of the pressure the health service will be under and know the best way to access care during that time. People should continue to attend hospital, GP and dental appointments unless they are contacted and told otherwise. Dr David Levy, medical director of NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, which organises health services for the region, has urged people to make NHS 111 Online their first port of call for non-emergency health needs. NHS 111 Online is available by visiting https://111.nhs.uk/ Dr Levy said: “We ask people to continue to use services wisely during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to those who need it most. If you need health advice on a day of strike action, but it is not an emergency, try NHS 111 Online and a clinician will call you back if needed. Please continue to only use 999 or A&E in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk. “During strike action we will prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity and trauma, and ensure we prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery. We will only cancel appointments and procedures where it is necessary and will reschedule immediately, where possible. The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled. If you have not been contacted, please attend your appointment as planned. “The public’s support during previous periods of industrial action has been invaluable and we are immensely grateful to them for continuing to use NHS services appropriately during these times of pressure.” Almost half of all hospital doctors in the country are junior doctors – more than 50,000. Junior doctors are qualified doctors who have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice. Junior doctors work in almost every part of a busy hospital, including in A&E, where they might diagnose patients, put them under anaesthetic, write prescriptions, support the process of admission and discharge, maintain the flow of patients through the hospital and ensure beds are available for those who need them the most. They are also an important part of the teams for planned in-patient appointments, as well as out-patient clinics The number of junior doctors based in GP practices who will be taking industrial action is smaller and GP practices will continue to be open during the junior doctors strike. However, GP practices and pharmacies are an important part of the response from the local NHS to make sure that urgent patients continue to be seen as a priority and are likely to be under increased pressure. For FAQs about upcoming industrial action, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/information-for-the-public-on-industrial-action/  

Police are appealing for witnesses regarding an incident which occurred in the early hours of Monday 3 April in the Stanley Road area of Barrow. Police received a report of an assault on a woman, aged in her 40s, in the Stanley Road area in Barrow, which resulted in a facial injury. She is being… Continue reading Appeal issued in Barrow sexual assault investigation