Carlisle hotel stay for recovering hospital patients

Carlisle's Station Hotel will provide short-term accommodation for a small number of former patients

Recuperating hospital patients who are not able to return home are being sent to stay at a hotel to ease pressure on beds.

The temporary accommodation will be provided by Carlisle's Station Hotel.

Patients include those with vulnerable family members who could be at risk until after a self-isolation period, or those awaiting care packages.

Health chiefs said the arrangement was due to the unprecedented demand Covid-19 had placed on health services.

Strict infection prevention and control measures are in place throughout the hotel, and people are only expected to stay there as a short-term measure.

John Readman, Cumbria County Council's executive director of people, described it as a "positive new development".

He said: "This is better for the individual and will help relieve some of the pressure on our hospitals and our care homes and ensure that medical beds are available for those who need treatment."

Peter Rooney from the NHS North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "This is a great example of health and care partners working together to ensure those with the most urgent medical needs can continue to access urgent health care while supporting the needs of our community."