Trust promises 'more reliable' service at hospital
BBCAn urgent treatment centre, which has repeatedly been forced to shut over staffing issues, said some vacancies had been filled but recruitment continued to be a problem.
Keswick's Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) in Cumbria was closed for 29 days in the last six months of 2025 - in December alone it was shut for 11 days.
Chief Nurse Gill Findley said the closures were unacceptable but happened for safety reasons, due to vacancies and long-term absences in a small team.
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the UTC, has committed to keeping it open and said it expected a "much more stable service" by May.
Findley said: "While it's not acceptable to close, it would be even worse if we provided a poor service."
She said struggling to recruit was not an issue unique to Cumbria, and staff with advanced qualifications were needed.
UTCs treat patients with sprains, broken bones, minor burns and head injuries.
Findley said the trust was continuing the search to fill vacancies, but had already recruited more staff.
"We are expecting to have a much more secure service in May when those people can actually start and have finished their induction training with us," she said.
She reiterated the trust's commitment to keep the site open, saying there were no plans to close it permanently.
However, she could not guarantee the service would not be forced to temporarily close again.
UTC patient Tracy Waugh, said the closures had been "pretty distressing for the town".
"Keswick is such a busy place with tourists and obviously the locals need this facility, it's very important."
Penrith and Solway's Labour MP Markus Campbell-Savours said the community had fought against its closure in the past.
He said: "I'm not convinced yet that we aren't going to see further days when the facility is closed and I'll be holding them to account for the promises that they've made."
Campbell-Savours added that staffing was an issue in rural areas.
"That said, it's a challenge that they [the NHS trust] need to work double hard to fix," he said.
