A staffing crisis across north Cumbria's cottage hospitals is forcing the shutdown of one next week as health chiefs implement contingency plans to maintain safe levels of service.
The trust which runs the units says all six beds at Alston's cottage hospital and accompanying in-patient staff are being "consolidated" at Brampton Community Hospital for at least a month.
There are hopes it will reopen in September once more nurses are recruited.
Alston Hospital's nurse-led treatment service is also seeing its hours cut from being a 24 service to operating Monday-Friday between 8am and 4.30pm.
Its day hospital and community nursing services will both continue to operate.
Elsewhere, Keswick's minor injury unit (MIU) is reducing its hours too from 8am until 8pm daily.
It will now operate from 8.30am-7pm seven days a week to allow nursing staff to maintain its 12 beds and continue to operate the MIU.
Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is also closely monitoring and reviewing options for other "fragile hospitals" including Maryport and Cockermouth in west Cumbria.
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The trust insists the contingency plans - introduced as early as Monday - are a temporary measure and that it is doing everything it can to avoid having to make further changes.
It added that the changes will improve the sustainability and stability of the remaining units.
Patients at Alston are being reviewed and a care package put in place around each person according to their needs.
Patients will either be transferred to a different unit, or discharged home or to a residential care home where appropriate.
The trust has taken steps to improve the situation across the area including additional recruitment, mobilising staff from other services to cover absence, utilising bank staff, and seeking help from other bodies.
Several vacancies have recently been filled on the trust's inpatient units, including five nurses (RGNs) and a number of leadership positions.
Other organisations have also been approached to provide some staff to temporarily fill vacancies.
While this has provided some relief, it has not been sufficient to cover safe staffing levels.
* See Saturday's News & Star
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