NHSQueueIndependent waiting-time data

North West · CA28 8JG

West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven is the trust's second acute hospital, with a 24-hour A&E and an emergency assessment unit. It has a maternity unit (delivery suite and Honister maternity ward), a special care baby unit, a children and young people's ward, an intensive treatment unit and a coronary care unit.

Contact details, visiting and parking from the hospital’s official website, checked on 26 September 2026. Please check with the hospital before you travel.

NHSQueue score3.93.9/10Worse than most · ranked 89 of 126How it is scored Waiting list12.1 weeksDmedian wait · 66.1% within 18 weeksWaiting times by specialty A&E63.2%seen within 4 hours · August 2026A&E waiting times CQC ratingRequires improvementfor North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation TrustInspection details

West Cumberland Hospital phone numbers

Main switchboard01946 693181

PALS email: pals@ncic.nhs.uk

In an emergency call 999. For urgent medical advice call NHS 111.

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Where is West Cumberland Hospital?

Homewood Road, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 8JG

Directions in Google Maps

Nearest NHS hospitals

Visiting times at West Cumberland Hospital

Adult wards

1pm – 8pm

Up to 2 visitors

1pm–8pm daily on most wards; maximum 2 visitors at a time (check with the ward before visiting)

Intensive care

ITU: 2pm–3.30pm and 5.30pm–7pm

ITU, maternity and the children's ward have their own arrangements. Masks must be worn when visiting outbreak areas; do not visit if unwell.

Parking at West Cumberland Hospital

Several pay and display car parks: pay on arrival at a machine (coins or card) or with the RingGo app (location 64850, no extra cost). The car park near the main entrance has the most disabled spaces; drop-off point outside the main entrance.

  • up to 1 hour£1
  • up to 2 hours 15 mins£2
  • up to 3 hours 30 mins£3
  • up to 24 hours£5
  • 1 week permit£10

Free or reduced parking: Free for Blue Badge holders in any space (display the badge). Parents of children staying overnight (7.30pm–8am) and SCBU parents can claim charges back. Free 5-day 'Swan' permits (up to 2 vehicles) for close relatives of patients at the end of life. Long-term patients such as cancer and renal get free single-use permits.

Getting there

  • By busRoutes 600/600s (from Carlisle), 22/22A, X7 and 30 serve the hospital
  • By trainWhitehaven station (Northern trains from Workington and St Bees), about a 50-minute walk; buses leave from Tangier Street, 3 minutes' walk from the station

Shops, food and facilities

  • Restaurant (ground floor, new building, Mon–Fri)
  • Costa coffee shop (ground floor, new building)
  • WHSmith (next to main entrance)
  • Vending machines
  • Cash point (charge applies)
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Chapel (old hospital building)
  • Children's play areas

How North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust performs

NHS England publishes waiting times for North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust as a whole, covering West Cumberland Hospital and the trust’s other hospitals.

Waiting-list data: July 2026Published by NHS England on · next release expected 8 October 2026 · sources

3.9

NHSQueue score: 3.9 out of 10

Worse than mostNorth Cumbria Integrated Care ranks 89 of 126 NHS hospital trusts in England on the latest official figures.

  • Waiting list (share within 18 weeks)better than 57% of trusts
  • A&E (seen within 4 hours)better than 10% of trusts
  • Diagnostic tests (waiting under 6 weeks)better than 53% of trusts
  • Cancer (28-day and 62-day standards)better than 37% of trusts
  • CQC inspection ratingbetter than 25% of trusts

Each measure is compared with every other NHS hospital trust, then combined: waiting list 35%, A&E 20%, tests 15%, cancer 15%, CQC 15%. How the score works

Waiting list for planned treatment

12.1 weeksD wait grade

median wait · 66.1% under 18 weeks · 35,424 waiting

+516 waiting vs June 2026

Waiting times by specialty

A&E

63.2%

seen within 4 hours in August 2026 · 12,159 attendances

England: 75.0%

A&E waiting times

Diagnostic tests (MRI, CT, endoscopy…)

16.6%

waiting 6+ weeks · 9,893 waiting for a test

July 2026 · standard: under 1%

Test waits

Cancer: diagnosed within 28 days

78.3%

70.9% treated within 62 days

July 2026 · standard 75%

Cancer waiting times

Other hospitals run by North Cumbria Integrated Care

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust: all hospitals and contact details →

West Cumberland Hospital: common questions

What is the phone number for West Cumberland Hospital?

The main number for West Cumberland Hospital is 01946 693181. Other useful numbers: delivery suite 01946 523242; maternity unit 01946 523260; special care baby unit 01946 523106. For help with a complaint or concern, PALS is on 0800 633 5547.

What are the visiting times at West Cumberland Hospital?

Adult wards: 1pm–8pm daily on most wards; maximum 2 visitors at a time (check with the ward before visiting). Check with the ward before you travel, as times can change.

How much is parking at West Cumberland Hospital?

Several pay and display car parks: pay on arrival at a machine (coins or card) or with the RingGo app (location 64850, no extra cost). The car park near the main entrance has the most disabled spaces; drop-off point outside the main entrance. Charges: up to 1 hour: £1, up to 2 hours 15 mins: £2, up to 3 hours 30 mins: £3, up to 24 hours: £5. Free for Blue Badge holders in any space (display the badge). Parents of children staying overnight (7.30pm–8am) and SCBU parents can claim charges back. Free 5-day 'Swan' permits (up to 2 vehicles) for close relatives of patients at the end of life. Long-term patients such as cancer and renal get free single-use permits.

Where is West Cumberland Hospital?

West Cumberland Hospital is at Homewood Road, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 8JG. It is run by North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. By bus: Routes 600/600s (from Carlisle), 22/22A, X7 and 30 serve the hospital.

Does West Cumberland Hospital have an A&E?

Yes. West Cumberland Hospital has an emergency department (24 hours, 7 days). Across North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, 63.2% of 12,159 A&E attendances ended within 4 hours in August 2026.

Sources: NHS England statistics on referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times (July 2026), A&E attendances (August 2026), diagnostic waiting times (DM01) and cancer waiting times, published 10 September 2026; hospital sites from the nhs.uk organisation data. Figures are checked against the official national totals before every update.

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