Urgent Primary Care in Cumbria | CHoC

Urgent Primary Care Services

Cumbria Health operate daytime and out of hours services to support the Cumbrian health economy and ensure that patients have appropriate access to high quality services since 1996.

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

We provide primary health care services in and out of hours to the population of Cumbria, including the population of Bentham located in North Yorkshire.

Operating from 6 Hospital sites and one central hub ensures access to Cumbria Health is maximised throughout the Out of Hours period, 68% of the total week.

Cumbria Health covers a population of approximately 528,000 with significant population increases during tourist seasons. Approximately 54% of the population of Cumbria live in rural communities compared with a 19% average across England. The rurality of the county means it is the least densely populated local authority area across England.

Cumbria Health have a fleet of 12 hybrid, four wheel drive vehicles to meet the challenges of providing care to the rural communities.

We are co-located within the emergency departments in the acute hospitals at Carlisle, Whitehaven and Barrow. The remaining sites are based in community hospitals and work within the urgent treatment centres.

The Tourist Health Line averages 62 referrals per month in 2024

370 referrals so far this year

and has received 1,059 referrals across Grange-Over-Sands, Ambleside, and Windermere since the service started.

24/7 Control Hub

Cumbria Health have a dedicated team of Controllers who work 24/7 365 days a year to support our Out of Hours services, our Primary Care sites and daytime Digital and Clinical services with the ultimate aim of alleviating pressure on the local health system. The Control Hub support patients and healthcare partners utilising a range of digital solutions for the betterment of patient care.

Acute oncology

Working with North Cumbria Integrated Care we facilitate the provision of a dedicated phone line for patients being treated by the Acute Oncology Service, ensuring patients can access healthcare 24/7 ensuring our patients have access to care around the clock so they have the care and assistance they need.

Night Nurse Driver

Cumbria Health provide an overnight driver and vehicle to support the District Nursing services out of hours in North Cumbria. We pride ourselves on working with other services to provide continuity of care for all of our patients, so they can see us as one team who are there to help them in their time of need.

Flu retainer

During the pressured Winter period Cumbria Health work with system partners to provide a Cumbria wide, remote, reactive flu service. Advanced Nurse Practitioners or Pharmacists are on call to deal with any care home flu outbreaks, ensuring that these at-risk patients have fast access to medication and care that they need.

Mental Health Inpatient

Cumbria Health are commissioned by several Acute Trusts to provide medical support to the in-patient services during the out of hours periods. We believe that all our patients should have access to high quality and response care.

Urgent community response (UCR)

Urgent community response teams provide urgent care to people in their homes which helps to avoid hospital admissions and enable people to live independently for longer. Our control room provide a dedicated phone line for ambulance crews to have a single point of access for GP and Community Teams to respond to patients as an alternative to the Acute Hospital.

CAS

The Clinical Assessment Service (CAS) runs 24/7 with additional daytime clinical cover provided. Our CAS Clinician will assess cases as they come through from 111 or 999 and utilise the appropriate pathway so that each patient is given the health care they need - whether that's an appointment at their own GP, an Out of Hours appointment or for Urgent Treatment or Emergency services as required.

Penrith UTC

Cumbria Health provide a GP on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to provide medical support to the Penrith Urgent Treatment Centre and the ward located in Penrith Community Hospital. This is just one example of how we work within the many communities that make up Cumbria, helping to keep care local.

Strike Support

Cumbria Health supports of health system during industrial action, providing additional support when needed.

Urgent Dental Access Centre

Patient leaflets and advice