WORKINGTON Community Hospital's cafe is due to be replaced by vending machines as a temporary measure.

It has been left without a cafe for five weeks, following an unsuccessful tendering process.

A spokman for Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said: "We will be installing vending at Workington hospital that will provide snacks and hot and cold drinks for the hospital’s patients and staff. 

"This is a temporary measure which we hope will be in place by the end of this week.

"We continue to work towards finding a more permanent solution."

Charity West House, which ran Cafe West at the hospital for three years, moved out at the end of August because it had lost the tendering process.

But the preferred bidder withdrew from running the cafe so the tendering process has restarted. 

West House, which employs people with learning difficulties, could be chosen to continue to provide the service.

The Rev Ken Wright, hospital chaplain, said: "As long as the vending machines are only a stopgap, it sounds quite reasonable. It would be nice for this to be resolved as quickly as possible.

"My hope is that West House will get it back because of all the good work that they do in giving self-confidence to their staff and they're much appreciated in the hospital."