eden assessment service

Rory officially opened the new Eden Assessment Service at Penrith Hospital at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday January 28th, and met patients and staff as he was given a tour of the new unit.

The new service provides room for GPs to refer patients for further diagnostics, tests and short-term treatment, allowing more space and time for a clinical team to assess patients in order to get the right diagnosis. The new service allows GPs to refer patients for further investigation, and time to see if the patient might respond to short-term treatment such as IV (intravenous) antibiotics or dehydration treatment. Previously a GP in the Eden would have had to refer a patient further afield for more tests, proving difficult for many patients. The new unit also provides new facilities for Penrith Community Hospital’s minor injuries unit, which has also moved into the revamped area, freeing up its previous location for more out-patient clinic rooms.

Rory said: “It’s a huge honour to be here today and to see new improvements to our hospital. This new unit not only provides fantastic new facilities for patients in our area, but will also mean that fewer patients will be required to travel further out of the area for diagnostic tests and can be treated and diagnosed closer to home, minimising the upheaval that many simply cannot face in times of stress, or illness. It improves our excellent community hospital even more, and I’m proud to see these extra facilities already in use and clearly fulfilling a very necessary need in the local community.”