New £15m endoscopy unit 'will cut diagnosis waits'

The trust said work is expected to be finished by March

Work has started on building a new endoscopy unit which officials say will help to speed up diagnosis times for patients.

The £15m unit is being built on the grounds of the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.

North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust (NCIC), which runs the hospital, says the facility will mean almost all patients will receive their diagnostic procedure within six weeks of referral.

Daya Karat, consultant surgeon at NCIC, said: "When it is up and running the new facility will have more clinic rooms that all meet modern standards that we are not able to meet in the current environment."

NCIC said the new build, which is expected to be completed by March, would also mean fewer trips to Newcastle and other hospitals outside Cumbria to get diagnosed.

'Reduce waiting times'

The Cumberland Infirmary currently has only one endoscopy room of suitable size and two smaller rooms that do not meet national accreditation standards, according to the trust.

It added the new unit will include five clinical rooms, an outpatient area and would provide better training facilities for staff.

Labour's Julie Minns, MP for Carlisle, attended a ceremony to mark the start of the build after excavation of the site was completed.

She said the unit would help to bring down waiting lists.

"Waiting for appointments and test results is a stressful time for everyone so I was pleased to hear from staff today how this new unit will help expand the Infirmary's endoscopy service and ultimately lead to faster diagnoses and reduced waiting times," she added.