As work begins to prepare for the closure of cottage hospital beds in Maryport, work is continuing to reopen Workington's inpatient ward.

Ellerbeck ward at Workington Community Hospital has been closed since December after a specialist report highlighted issues that would limit the ability to evacuate the first-floor unit in the event of an incident.

Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust set up a temporary service on a vacant ward at Whitehaven's West Cumberland Hospital as work was carried out on the 14-bed Workington site.

When that became needed for other patients last month, three temporary beds were opened at Maryport's Victoria Cottage Hospital with another three at Cockermouth Community Hospital.

A trust spokesman said: "Work on Ellerbeck ward is ongoing and a number of the fire safety issues have now been rectified.

"This work will continue over the coming weeks and we hope to be able to provide a date for reopening the ward soon.

"Additional beds are still open at Maryport and Cockermouth hospitals and will remain open until we can move back into Workington hospital."

Meanwhile, David Rogers, medical director at NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, which last week decided to close Maryport's inpatient ward, said: "The reconfiguration of beds across the community hospitals in west, north and east Cumbria won’t happen in the short term and is likely to take a couple of years.

"There will be a very clear transition process around this change and before that the CCG governing body will need to be assured of the safety of any permanent changes.

"The governing body was very clear in its support of the work carried out by the community groups, and in particular the Maryport Alliance.

"The governing body and wider health system is keen for this to develop, and indeed will be supporting that work as we move forward."