Westmorland General Hospital

Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) is located on the edge of the Lake District. It has around 43 beds and provides a midwifery-led unit, elective surgery, a chemotherapy unit, and a wide range of outpatient services. It is also home to a minor injuries unit, GP-ed medical wards, mental health wards, and a renal unit, all of which are provided by other NHS Trusts.

At the time of our inspection, the hospital provided elective surgical services in urology, ophthalmology, trauma and orthopaedics, and general surgery. The hospital had two wards, general surgery, and trauma and orthopaedics, and four theatres. Surgical services were managed divisionally across all three trust locations rather than by single location.

Helme Chase Maternity Unit was a stand-alone midwifery-led unit within WGH, and was part of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay (UHMB) NHS Foundation Trust. Community midwife antenatal clinics were held within the unit during weekdays, together with a small number of consultant obstetric and gynaecology clinics. The unit had three birthing rooms, one of which had a birthing pool. In addition, there was a ‘home-from-home’ room, which could also be used a birthing room if needed.