- NHS hospital
Cumberland Infirmary
We served a warning notice on North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust on 1 April 2026 for failing to meet the regulations at Cumberland Infirmary regarding the assessment and management of risk in relation to deteriorating patients, infection prevention and control, assessment of patient needs, the storage of medicines, the environment and equipment, staff training and competence, capacity and flow, privacy and dignity and information governance. In addition, the providers governance systems were not operating effectively.
Assessment report published 4 September 2026
Contents
Ratings - Urgent and emergency services
Our view of the service
We carried a full assessment of the urgent and emergency care on 16 and 17 February 2026 and revisited the service on 18 March 2026. The assessment was unannounced and undertaken as part of our winter pressures programme.
We assessed 33 quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions. The urgent and emergency care was previously inspected in June 2023 and was rated as requires improvement. At this assessment, the safe key question deteriorated to inadequate. Effective, responsive and well-led remained requires improvement, and caring changed from good to requires improvement.
Following the assessment, we issued the trust with a warning notice under Section 29a of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 1 April 2026. The warning notice was issued due to breaches of 6 of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, premises and equipment, dignity and respect, person centred care, governance and staffing. The warning notice told the trust it must make significant improvements to the quality of healthcare provided by its urgent and emergency care services.
In addition, we asked the trust to provide an action plan following publication of the final report.
People's experience of this service
Patients and any family or carers we spoke with gave positive feedback about the staff treating them with warmth and kindness and providing effective care and treatment. They said staff were very busy but tried their best.
Friends and family survey results showed a mixed response regarding the department, with people saying that they waited a long time. Some people commented negatively regarding staff attitude and did not feel listened to.