Urgent and emergency care services:

For emergencies call 999
For out of hours healthcare call 111

Telephone: 01228 514830

Patient Information

Formerly known as CHoC

We are proud to be a trusted healthcare provider

Formerly known as CHoC, delivering primary health care services within and out of hours to the population of Cumbria and beyond.

When to use 111

Call 111 if:

- you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency

- you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service

- you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call

- you need health information or reassurance about what to do next

 

For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way.

If a health professional has given you a specific phone number to call when you are concerned about your condition, continue to use that number.

Remember – call 999 if you have a life threatening emergency
Your Medical Records
We will ask your consent to view your GP records and ensure that the record of your Cumbria Health contact is passed onto your own GP practice.
Special Requirements Including Type Talk
If you have any special requirements, e.g. you would like a chaperone, you are hard of hearing or are visually impaired please let a member of the Cumbria Health team know and we will do our best to accommodate this. If you require the use of Type Talk the number to use is: 18001 03000 247 247.
How Cumbria Health Will Manage Your Care
Cumbria Health is here to help you when your own surgery is closed and you cannot wait until your surgery opens to seek medical attention.

Our Out of Hour Bases

Cumberland Infirmary
Cumberland Infirmary,Newtown Road,Carlisle,CA2 7HY
Located through the main hospital entrance. Follow the main atrium and we are situated past the reception area on the right hand side in the yellow area in Surgical pre-assessment.
Furness General Hospital
Furness General Hospital,Dalton Lane,Barrow-in-Furness,LA14 4LF
Located through the main A&E entrance, first turning on your right, follow the sign for CHoC
Penrith Hospital
Penrith Hospital,Bridge Lane,Penrith,CA11 8HX
Located within the UTC. Please go through the double sliding doors and attend the reception desk.
West Cumberland Hospital
West Cumberland Hospital,Homewood Road,Hensingham,Whitehaven,CA28 8JG
Located within the Outpatients department, enter through the double doors and straight down the corridor, following the signs for CHoC.
Westmorland General Hospital
Westmorland General Hospital,Burton Road,Kendal,LA9 7RG
Located within the Main Outpatients Department, through the sliding doors and straight ahead to the reception desk.
Wigton Community Hospital
Wigton Community Hospital,Cross Lane,Wigton,Cumbria,CA7 9DD
The entrance is located to the right hand side of the building. Please press the buzzer on the door
Cumberland Infirmary
Cumberland Infirmary,Newtown Road,Carlisle,CA2 7HY
Located through the main hospital entrance. Follow the main atrium and we are situated past the reception area on the right hand side in the yellow area in Surgical pre-assessment.
Furness General Hospital
Furness General Hospital,Dalton Lane,Barrow-in-Furness,LA14 4LF
Located through the main A&E entrance, first turning on your right, follow the sign for CHoC
Penrith Hospital
Penrith Hospital,Bridge Lane,Penrith,CA11 8HX
Located within the UTC. Please go through the double sliding doors and attend the reception desk.
West Cumberland Hospital
West Cumberland Hospital,Homewood Road,Hensingham,Whitehaven,CA28 8JG
Located within the Outpatients department, enter through the double doors and straight down the corridor, following the signs for CHoC.
Westmorland General Hospital
Westmorland General Hospital,Burton Road,Kendal,LA9 7RG
Located within the Main Outpatients Department, through the sliding doors and straight ahead to the reception desk.
Wigton Community Hospital
Wigton Community Hospital,Cross Lane,Wigton,Cumbria,CA7 9DD
The entrance is located to the right hand side of the building. Please press the buzzer on the door

Once you have phoned 111 a member of the Cumbria Health team will ring you back and you will be managed in one of the following ways:

Telephone Advice 

Sometimes your problem might just need some advice from a clinician (doctor or nurse) to reassure you how to manage your symptoms. 

Sometimes you our clinicians might need to see you face to face. This can be done either by coming to a Cumbria Health treatment centre, or a home visit. 

Our clinicians usually prefer to see children face to face at one of our Cumbria Health centres. This helps us to see children quicker and also refer on to paediatric services if necessary. 

Appointment at a Cumbria Health Treatment Centre 

Our clinician may feel that you need to be seen in person to further investigate your symptoms, so you will be telephoned with an appointment time at one of our treatment centres. 

Please do not just walk into a Cumbria Health treatment centre. You must call 111 first. 

Home Visit 

Home visits are reserved for physically housebound or end of life care patients.

Video Consultation

In some cases, dependant on your symptom, you will receive a video call appointment using a secure link with one of our clinicians.  Video consultations allow the clinician to have a visual of you and your symptoms potentially saving you a lot of unnecessary travel time. 

How does it work?
The NHS 111 service is staffed by a team of fully trained advisers, supported by experienced nurses and paramedics. They will ask you questions to assess your symptoms, then give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you  to the local service that can help you best. That could be A&E, an out-of-hours doctor, an urgent care centre or a walk-in centre, a community nurse, an emergency dentist or a late-opening chemist. Where possible, the NHS 111 team will book you an appointment or transfer you directly to the people you need to speak to. If NHS 111 advisers think you need an ambulance, they will immediately arrange for one to be sent to you.
After your appointment
Your own GP gets full details of the consultation that you have had with Cumbria Health. This is sent to them via the computer at 8 o’clock in the morning the next working day. If you do have any further on-going concerns or questions, your own GP will have all of the details and should be able to answer those questions for you.
If your condition is worsening
Please follow any advice given to you by the doctor/nurse who has seen you. If your condition is worsening or you feel you have developed new symptoms please call 111. If you have any doubts about the doctor’s advice please re-contact Cumbria Health.

Opening Times

We provide cover when your GP’s Practice is closed:

Treatment Centres
We have treatment centres in Carlisle, Penrith, Wigton, Whitehaven, Kendal and Barrow, offering out of hours support
Treatment Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 6.30pm until 8.00am | Open 24hours on a weekend
Bank Holidays
Including Easter, Christmas and New Year
Using Typetalk or a Textphone
If you have difficulties communicating or hearing, you can use the NHS 111 service through a textphone by calling 18001 111. Calls are connected to the TextDirect system and the textphone will display messages to tell you what is happening. A typetalk relay assistant will automatically join the call. They will talk back what you’ve typed to the NHS 111 adviser and, in return, type back the adviser’s conversation so you can read it on your textphone’s display or computer.
Pharmacies
Please visit your local pharmacy when you are suffering from a common health problem that does not require being seen by a nurse or doctor. To locate the three nearest pharmacies to your location, people should simply text ‘Pharmacy’ to 64746 and they will receive three free texts listing the three nearest pharmacies and their address. (This service uses the location of a person’s mobile phone to return relevant results. Please note that by using this service, you give consent for your mobile operator to release their location to the service provider for the provision of the service.)
Dental Care
If you are a registered patient you should contact your own dentist to organise treatment. Unregistered patients if you require advice on an emergency dental problem call 01228 603900 if you are in north Cumbria, or 01539 716822 if you are in south Cumbria. If you would like to register for an NHS dentist in Cumbria you need to register on NHS Cumbria’s dental database. You can do this by visiting www.cumbria.nhs.uk and clicking on the link from the homepage.
Translation Service
There is a confidential interpreter service, which is available in many languages. Simply mention the language you wish to use when the NHS 111 operator answers your call.
Repeat Prescriptions
Please make sure you order your repeat medications from your own GP well in advance so as to avoid running out at weekends/bank holidays. Patients who have forgotten to order their repeat medications and then phone us about them take valuable doctor time away from those patients who really need our help and attention.
Temporary Residents
Should you be just visiting the area, but need a GP within normal surgery hours, please contact the nearest GP surgery to where you are staying. There is provision for you to be registered as a temporary resident at the surgery and be able to access appointments.
Cumbria Health Extended Access
The Cumbria Health Extended Access service (CHEA) provides evening and weekend pre-bookable routine appointments with GPs, Nurses and Pharmacists in Cumbria, which makes it easier for you to get a routine appointment at a time that suits you. More information can be found here.
We strive at all times to provide patients who need the Out of Hours service with a first class, responsive service. Please let us know if you have any compliments or complaints.
  • By Phone
    01228 514830 (weekdays 08.00 – 17.00)
  • By Letter
    FAO Chief Executive Cumbria Health Limited, 4 Wavell Drive, Rosehill Industrial Estate, Carlisle CA1 2SE
  • By Email
    [email protected]
  • From the initial telephone call handlers to the follow up phone calls with the Pharmacist and Drs, including 3 x F2F appointments and physical examinations undertaken at Penrith Urgent Care Centre, the service the Cumbria Health team provided to us was excellent.
  • The nurse was very considerate towards us both, knowing we were on holiday and aware travel logistics were difficult, discussed our possible options reassuring us whilst doing so.
  • Each one of them was like speaking to a family member or friend as they took me through the process, on some days, of counting his breath, a thing I had never done before. This continued for 14 days and I felt totally safe with him.
  • I was shown nothing but understanding, thoroughness and support.
  • Your clinician calmed me down and really made me feel at ease. I couldn’t have asked for a better service.
  • The clinician proved to us his professionalism, exceptional medical skills and ability to empathise with his patents. It made me feel better just seeing him.
  • Cumbria Health really did make a trip for medical treatment while on holiday at Center Parcs so easy and for that I am forever grateful.
  • I wish to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the wonderful service I received on both occasions. From the initial contacts with control, to the triage consultations and the home visits…I couldn’t have asked for a better service.
  • I cannot thank you all enough for the guidance you gave to me and the care and support you provided to my mother on such busy weekends.
Urgent and emergency care services:

For emergencies call 999
For out of hours healthcare call 111