Former Workington MP Lord Campbell-Savours is laying the foundation stone at the town's new community hospital on Friday.

More than 200 staff will be based at the hospital, which will have 14 in-patient beds, two GP surgeries, a pharmacy, community dental services, community midwifery and a range of other services.

Lord Campbell-Savours will use a trowel which was used to lay the foundation stone of the maternity ward of the old Workington Infirmary in 1931.

Whitehaven monumental stonemason Clive Hasley has engraved the foundation stone on slate from the Old Man of Coniston.

'Worked tirelessly'

The new hospital, which is being built under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), will replace the existing infirmary.

It will also provide facilities for a number of consultant-led out-patient clinics and services such as speech and language therapy, x-ray and a day hospital for the elderly.

Lord Campbell-Savours said: "I am proud to be called upon to lay the foundation stone of Workington's new community hospital.

"It is an expression by the people of Workington of their appreciation of the efforts of all those who over many decades have served the NHS and the health needs of the wider public.

"It also serves to thank the many people in the community who have worked tirelessly over the years to turn a dream into a reality and build a new hospital in Workington."