MP Demands Answers After Keswick Urgent Treatment Centre Closes Again
Keswick’s Urgent Treatment Centre has closed for a second time in one week, prompting a local MP to demand answers from NHS leaders over staffing and service provision.
The centre closed early at 4pm on Friday, 30 October, and remained shut throughout Saturday and Sunday. North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said it could not guarantee a safe service because of staffing issues. The facility was scheduled to reopen at 8.30am on Monday, 2 November.
Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours wrote to Trudie Davies, chief executive of the trust, seeking details about the circumstances behind the latest closures. He also asked for assurances that staff were not being transferred from Keswick to cover shortages at other urgent treatment centres.
The MP said the closure was particularly concerning because it coincided with a busy weekend at the end of the school half-term holiday. He also questioned whether previous commitments to address staffing problems had delivered a lasting solution. Mr Campbell-Savours called for a robust plan to keep urgent treatment services operating as winter approaches.
The trust apologised to patients and said the decision had not been taken lightly. It explained that, after reviewing the available options, it was unable to ensure safe delivery of the service. The organisation said it remained committed to maintaining the Keswick centre and was working to ensure it could meet the needs of the local community.
The latest disruption follows a period of staffing difficulties affecting both Keswick and Penrith urgent treatment centres. In an earlier update, the trust said vacancies and long-term staff absences had contributed to temporary closures. It explained that, when both facilities could not be safely staffed, colleagues were brought together at Penrith to maintain an urgent treatment service in the area.
During the weekend closure, patients needing medical advice were advised to contact NHS 111, their GP practice or a local pharmacy. The urgent treatment centre in Penrith remained available from 8am to 10pm, while the emergency departments at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven continued operating around the clock.
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