Hospital Radio Echo
History
The original Cumberland Infirmary is a Grade II* listed building which was designed by Richard Tattersall and constructed by Messrs Robinson and Bennet, contractors of Preston, between 1830 and 1832. A new wing was opened by the Countess of Lonsdale in October 1911. The founder of the Roper-Logan-Tierney nursing process, Nancy Roper, worked as senior nurse tutor at the hospital in the 1950s. A further extension was opened by Princess Anne in 1975.
The present Cumberland Infirmary was procured under a Private Finance Initiative contract in 1997, the first hospital to be bond financed. Health Management (Carlisle) plc, a 50/50 dedicated joint venture company formed by AMEC and Interserve (Facilities Management) Ltd was given a 45-year concession period. The hospital, which was built by AMEC, cost £65m to construct.
The new hospital consolidating the operations of three previous hospitals, namely the previous Cumberland Infirmary, the Carlisle City General Hospital and the Carlisle City Maternity Hospital. The hospital was officially opened by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, on 16 June 2000.
In 2015 a report commissioned by North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust found that the fire proofing materials installed did not meet the required protection standard to allow for safe evacuation and prevent a fire from spreading across the building. It was described by the secretary of Cumbria’s Fire Brigades Union as "one of Carlisle’s biggest fire risks". The Trust said that this was not the first time they had uncovered major flaws in the PFI scheme.
In 2021, a new cancer centre was opened on the site, with services transitioning to Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Incidents
On 2 June 2010, the hospital's Accident and Emergency department was put on full incident standby in the aftermath of the Cumbria shootings.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in the City of Carlisle
- Listed buildings in Carlisle, Cumbria
- Healthcare in Cumbria
- List of hospitals in England
References
- ^ "Treatments". Cumberland Infirmary. NHS. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
- ^ Historic England. "Cumberland Infirmary (Grade II*) (1218237)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "Cumberland Infirmary". Carlisle Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Nancy Roper". The Independent. 15 October 2004. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle". Visit Cumbria. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
- ^ "NHS capital expenditure and the private finance initiative—expansion or contraction?" (PDF). British Medical Journal. 3 July 1999. p. 49. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "How one PFI hospital covers its costs". BBC. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Britain's first PFI privately funded NHS hospital is a 'major' fire safety risk, say fire fighters". Independent. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
- ^ "Health Secretary opens new cancer centre". Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ A welcome to our staff from North Cumbria, April 2021, archived from the original on 15 December 2021, retrieved 22 August 2021
- ^ "Gunman kills several in Cumbria : Timeline". BBC News. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.