Inspectors say efforts to tackle a worrying trend of so-called “never events” at north Cumbria’s hospitals are working.

However during a visit to Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found a large number of shifts understaffed and morale low, with some nurses reporting feeling exhausted and “burnt out”.

It comes just days before a crucial meeting about the future of the local NHS, with many fearing planned cuts to beds and services across the area will add further pressure to the overstretched infirmary.

The Success Regime was set up by the Government to tackle deep-rooted problems in north and west Cumbria.

They include many of the issues flagged up by national watchdog the CQC, including long-standing staff shortages and safety issues.

But local campaigners fear the solution it has come up with will create further problems.

Shortages of beds and pressures in A&E have been well documented, yet the Regime’s plan would see bed numbers in Carlisle and Whitehaven drop by about 100 by 2020.

Proposals to downgrade services at the West Cumberland Hospital – including maternity, paediatrics and stroke – would then see hundreds more patients treated in Carlisle.

Stephen Childs, chief executive of NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is part of the Success Regime, said the impact on the Cumberland Infirmary is one of the issues they are looking at in more depth after it was raised during a recent discussion.

“We can’t assume that Carlisle is going to pick up the extra work,” he said.

It is one of the issues likely to be raised at Tuesday’s public meeting, in the Crown & Mitre Hotel in the city centre at 6.30pm.

In the meantime Sir Mike Richards, the Chief Inspector of Hospitals, has today published a report looking at heavily-documented problems within North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust – currently in special measures.

A team of inspectors from the CQC visited both the Carlisle and Whitehaven hospitals in September. It followed six “never events” – wholly avoidable patient safety incidents – across the trust, prompting bosses to introduce new safety procedures.

Sir Mike concluded that this is now working, with no further never events taking place, and surgery is safe. However there remain issues, including continuing staff shortages and areas of poor practice, that need to be addressed.

Sir Mike said his team found large numbers of shifts understaffed in Carlisle, adding: “Nursing staff told us they were often exhausted from working extra hours.”

The report includes a number of areas where the trust must make improvements.

The CQC will return to the trust on December 6 to carry out a full inspection and ultimately decide if the special measures can be lifted.