Farron uses Health Questions to gain ‘new hope’ for local heart unit

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, Tim Farron, has used Parliamentary Health Question time to call on the government to allow for the return of a cardiac unit to Westmorland General Hospital as part of the Health Bill currently before Parliament.

Progress towards bringing a cardiac unit back to the south lakes, which was closed in 2008 despite overwhelming opposition, took another step forward when Tim gained assurances from the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, that provisions in the new Health Bill surrounding internal reorganisation of the NHS will allow for more acute services to be returned to hospitals such as Westmorland General Hospital.

Commenting afterwards Tim said: "I have been concerned for a long while about the risk to the lives of patients in the South Lakeland area following the closure of Westmorland's heart unit in 2008 therefore I am delighted that the Health Secretary has given us new hope that we may still be able to bring acute services back to our area.

"We now need to step up our campaign once again and do all we can to hold the government to their word and work towards reinstating a heart unit at Westmorland General Hospital."