The Cumbria county council has launched a new volunteering initiative-
Highways snow champion- Please look follow the links below-
Event List
North Cumbria health service: Where are your local vaccine hubs
Covid 19 Vaccines now being delivered at primary care hubs across north Cumbria – thanks to volunteers and staff
Every Primary Care Network (PCN) across north Cumbria is now delivering the covid vaccine to their over 80s and care home residents and staff.
There are eight PCNs – they are groups of GP Practices working together in local areas – and the vaccine is now being delivered from nine locations. Please don’t call your GP Practice to ask about the covid vaccine.
The teams are also visiting local care homes and the homes of housebound patients and those with mobility issues, to ensure our most vulnerable residents get the vaccine.
Our primary care teams, including GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists, healthcare workers, admin staff and a significant number of volunteers from a range of organisations, have all worked incredibly hard to get these new hubs up and running. For our primary care teams, this is happening alongside keeping every day general practice up and running for people needing medical support.
Dr Niall McGreevy, a GP in Workington and lead GP for the General Practice Provider Collaborative, said: “This is a huge effort from teams across north Cumbria. Everyone working in general practice has had a part to play and we simply could not have done it without the support of many, many volunteers.
“We know that people are incredibly grateful when they get the vaccine, many tell us they have barely left their homes since March and they see this as the first step towards getting back to some normality.
“General practice teams are well used to delivering vaccines, but this rollout has involved a significant amount of work to keep our patients and our staff as safe as we can, to make sure we can get as many of our most vulnerable patients through as quickly as we can. My colleagues have put in a super human effort and all of our hubs were up and running by the end of last week, which is just remarkable in a few short weeks since the vaccine was given the go ahead.”
Volunteers have been vital in the rollout supporting patients, helping manage car parks with large numbers of people arriving for the vaccine and directing and supporting patients.
Ed Tallis, director of primary care for NHS North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “This rollout has been a massive team effort and I can’t praise the flexibility of our primary care teams enough. They have been supported by volunteers right across the north of the county.
“I know in Cumbria we have a fantastic community that steps up when needed, and we have seen first-hand just how generous with their time our community has been. We are delighted so many people want to help out with the rollout of the covid vaccinations and I know that their input has helped our primary care teams focus on the delivery.
“Volunteers have been absolutely vital to managing the safe delivery of the vaccine. Thank you to each and every one who has played a part in supporting this vaccination programme.”
Volunteers from a range of organisations have been supporting primary care teams. They include (but are not limited to):
· Blood Banks
· North West Ambulance Service First Responders
· Cockermouth Emergency Response Group
· Northern Fells Group
· Maryport Hug A Mug team
· Rotary
· And many others….
Anne Waggot-Knott was part of the Cockermouth Emergency Response Group and said: “It feels really good to be involved in something that might finally make a difference to this horrid situation”
Mike Bradshaw and Karen Shankland from Cockermouth said: “This is one of the most important periods of time in our lives – we will do whatever you require. We enjoyed volunteering immensely. After seeing people into the car park and then watching them in wheelchairs, or with sticks, with all sorts of health problems, etc., going to get their chance of life in 2021…..very humbling.”
Kevin Walsh from Rotary in Carlisle supported Carlisle Network PCN and said: “We’ve had a steady stream of people and it is good to be able to help. Rotary is always looking for community activities to get involved in.”
On Sunday 10 January 2021 the Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed around one third of over 80s had been vaccinated across the UK.
Ed Tallis added: “You can help your GP teams with this massive piece of work. Please do not call your GP, you will not be able to book in, please wait to be contacted by the NHS. It will take some time to do even the first two priority cohorts. By calling you may make it harder for those with medical needs to get the help they need.”
North Cumbria has eight Primary Care Networks with a hub delivering the vaccine for all the member practices. They are:
Brampton and Longtown PCN – Brampton Community Centre
Carlisle Healthcare PCN – North Carlisle Medical Practice
Carlisle Network PCN – Morton Surgery
Cockermouth and Maryport PCN – Castlegate and Derwent Surgery (Cockermouth Community Hospital) and Maryport Rugby Club
Copeland PCN – Flatt Walks Surgery
Eden PCN – Penrith Hospital
Keswick and Solway PCN – Wigton Hospital
Workington PCN – Orchard House Surgery
Copeland GDF working group invite you to their virtual meeting- have your opinion heard on where nuclear wste could be stored
The search has started to find a suitable site and a willing community to host a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for the UK’s higher level radioactive waste. Community consent is at the heart of the process and a GDF cannot be built unless there’s a suitable site and a willing community.
The Copeland GDF Working Group has started its engagement with local people on the potential for further consideration of a GDF somewhere in the area of Copeland. As part of this engagement, we produce a monthly newsletter which anyone in the community can sign up to, please do so here via our dedicated website. Please feel free to share this link with others.
We can also offer community newsletters/groups/organisations such as yours, the opportunity of receiving regular information from us. If this is something which you would be interested in, please let me know an approximate number of words you would like, a list of deadlines and whether you require photographs.
Also, we can hold ‘virtual’ meetings with you if you would like so that you can talk to us directly. Our email address is gdfinfo-copeland@nda.gov.uk
Copeland GDF Working Group has three main tasks – begin to understand community issues, concerns and questions about GDF; identify a search area or areas within Copeland which could then be further investigated for potential locations for a GDF, and identify initial members for a Community Partnership that could take that work forward. The Working Group will not identify specific sites or decide on locations, it will merely suggest areas for further consideration by a Community Partnership.
If you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Gill
Gillian Thorne
Working Group Communications Lead
Radioactive Waste Management
Herdus House
Westlakes Science and Technology Park
Moor Row
Cumbria
CA24 3HU
T: 01925 802440
M: 07513 484807
Urgent: Road closure notice – St.Bridgets lane/Nelson squar
Hello,
A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow Electricity North West Ltd to carry out utility repair works which are expected to commence 25th January 2021 and anticipated to take 14 days to complete.
Please see below details of the extents of the closure and alternative route, the relevant legal notice can be viewed at https://one.network/downloads/tm/1026/notice_f70504c021.pdf and a location plan clearly showing the extents of the road closure and diversion route can be found on one.network via link https://one.network/?tm=119618098
Location: St Bridget’s Lane, Egremont from its junction with Nelson Square extending in a south easterly direction for approx. 130m.
Alternative Route: A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times and a suitable alternative route for vehicles will be signed and available via Nelson Square, Central Avenue and Castle Villas.
URGENT: Outpatient appointments suspended at North Cumbria Integrated Care
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust is suspending most outpatient appointments from today unless it is urgent.
As the number of patients with COVID-19 continues to increase in the trusts hospitals, the difficult decision has been made to suspend outpatient clinics at the Cumberland Infirmary, West Cumberland Hospital and community sites from Friday the 8th of January 2021.
Urgent appointments will still go ahead and will be assessed on a case by case basis. This will be for a period of two weeks and reviewed on a weekly basis. This will enable us to redeploy medical staff to the wards where extra support is required at this time.
Dr Rod Harpin, Medical Director at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“In the last week, we have seen a doubling of patients with COVID-19 being admitted into our hospitals and we are expecting this to increase in the coming weeks. Combined with the fact that many of our staff are having to self-isolate, this brings challenges in delivering our normal services. It is for that reason; we have taken the difficult decision to begin to stand down some routine services including all non- urgent outpatient clinics; and to redeploy staff from these services to assist in maintaining core and emergency services across our hospitals.
“We realise this can be distressing for patients awaiting appointments; however, this decision has been made to prioritise the safety and healthcare needs of our patients. We will endeavour to restart all services as soon as it is safe to do so and will continue to share regular updates. We thank all of our patients for their cooperation at this time.”
The Trust is contacting all patients affected, so patients are not required to contact the Trust. If you have not been told your appointment has been cancelled, or you are invited to attend, please do so as this means your case will have been assessed and we would like to see you.
The Trust has strict infection prevention measures in place for your safety in the hospital, please wear a mask or face covering, available at the main entrances if you do not have one, use hand sanitisers on entry and exit, stick to the marked one way systems and stay 2m away from others.
- Choose our services wisely – if you have been invited for an appointment, please attend. The NHS is still here for you, but please choose the service most appropriate for their need when they need to access medical help. This includes:
o 111 – this service provides 24 hour advice on any healthcare need
o Pharmacy – think pharmacy first where there are trained professionals who can prescribe medicines and give advice
o GP – for ongoing or persistent medical issues
o Minor injuries and Urgent Treatment centres – for urgent but not life-threatening issues
o A&E – for life-threatening and serious emergencies only.
- Maternity guidance – If you have any worries regarding your maternity care, your points of contact have not changed. Your midwife is here for you and will be able to discuss your queries.
Announcement: All events & classes in the Market hall have been cancelled and the Hall is closed
Please note- All events & classes in the Market hall have been cancelled and the Hall is closed.
No booking or classed of any kind will be taken until the national lockdown ends and we are out of tier 3 or tier 4.
Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
Thank you. Stay safe.
Government available funds: Cold weather payments
Cold Weather Payment
Overview
You may get a Cold Weather Payment if you’re getting certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
You’ll get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
You’ll get £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.
The Cold Weather Payment scheme runs from 1 November 2020 to 31 March 2021. Check if you can get a payment in your area.
Cold Weather Payments are different to Winter Fuel Payments.
Urgent: Road closure notice- Croadalla avenue will be closed to traffic from 5th January
Cumbria county council have issued a urgent road closure notice.
From Tuesday 5th January Croadalla avenue, Orgill will be closed to traffic in both directions. The road is to remain closed for two weeks.
This is due to the ongoing flood defense work that is due to be completed by summer 2021.
Egremont Covid 19 support group bring Christmas cheer and much needed support to many in the community.
Egremont Covid 19 Group today delivered 25 Christmas parcels to people in our parish from funding from LLWR, they were made up of a £10 tray of meat from Wilsons and Napiers, a £10 box of fruit & veg from Marion’s and a tub of chocolates – we are sure this will be welcomed by every one of them and will help go towards ensuring they have enough to eat and enjoy over Christmas.
On top of this, Age Concern and Westlakes Academy ran a scheme whereby a gift was donated by a pupil from the Academy for the elderly in our parish and today we will be calling on 30 elderly people to give them a small gift to show how appreciated they are in our community and valued.
The £50 vouchers that were given out to families within the primary schools, again funded by LLWR has been a great success and we are sure that this has been a great help to these families at this time.
Our thanks must go to LLWR, Egremont Town Council and to the Co-op. Wilsons Butchers, Napiers Butchers and Marion’s who agreed to partake in this scheme and who have discreetly served customers who have a voucher and have rounded costs down to accommodate them – thank you all.
Finally, in this difficult year which is not over yet – our thanks must go to all those volunteers who have assisted our Covid 19 Group in ensuring that people in our community have been looked after and have not felt isolated so to each and every one of you – a massive thank you and we hope that everyone enjoys a safe and happy Christmas and though there will be challenges ahead, we can face them together as a community.
NHS Blood and Transplant and we still need your help this Christmas and New year period
NHS Blood and Transplant and we still need your help this Christmas and New year period.
We have an upcoming blood donation session at Egremont, Town Council Market Hall on 29th January, with lots of available appointments. We would be grateful if you could help us spread the word.
We are working closely with the rest of the NHS to keep supplying lifesaving blood to hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic and we need people to keep donating as normal. We have extra safety measures in place and every precaution is being taken to eliminate the risk of covid-19 transmission at our blood donation sessions. Having an appointment to give blood is classed as essential travel and will be exempt from any local or national travel restrictions.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic donors are also specifically needed right now, because:
Some patients who receive frequent blood transfusions need blood to be closely matched to their own
A number of blood conditions, like sickle cell disease which is treated through blood transfusions, most commonly affect black, Asian and minority ethnic people
The best match typically comes from blood donors from the same ethnic background
While people from all communities and backgrounds do give blood, fewer than 5% of our blood donors who gave blood in the last year were from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. This is despite BAME communities representing around 14% of the population. We want to try and readdress this balance.
We would be very grateful if you were to communicate this message with anyone you feel may be interested in donating blood. I have also attached a poster and some social media graphics which could be displayed in your premises, posted on your channels or forwarded onto individuals to provide more information.
Whether you are a new or regular donor, please visit blood.co.uk, download the GiveBlood app or call us on 0300 123 23 23 to book an appointment today.
Thank you for helping us to save lives.
We hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!