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North Cumbria University Hospitals - Caring for North Cumbria

Medical education

The Trust offers clinical experience to undergraduate medical students, foundation programme and specialty trainees at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. Although geographically positioned in the North West, the Trust is linked to the Newcastle Medical School and the Northern Deanery.

Undergraduate medical students

Students assigned to the Trust arrive from Newcastle Medical School during their 3rd year of study. You can find more information concerning our training in our Job Fair Brochure.

Students gain clinical experience at the Cumberland Infirmary in a variety of clinical areas and during their time in the Trust are assessed in the Foundations of Clinical Practice (FoCP). At the end of their 4th year some elect to take a six-week ‘Student Selected Component’ experiencing Emergency Medicine run by the Consultant in Emergency Medicine based at West Cumberland Infirmary. You can find more information about this component.

Foundation programme

The Foundation Programme is the bridge between leaving medical school and becoming a specialty doctor. Foundation Programme trainees who work within the Trust are recruits of the Northern Deanery Foundation School. More information is available on the Northern Deanery website.

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of nine NHS trusts whcih provides Foundation Programme experience linked to the Northern Deanery. It offers trainees a structured rotation through a variety of different clinical settings ensuring that there are opportunities and ample clinical and educational support to meet the Foundation Programme curriculum standards.

Specialty programme

The Trust offers a wide range of specialties within a large predominately rural location. It provides services for north Cumbrian residents and also those living in parts of Northumberland, the Borders and into Dumfries and Galloway.

More information is available on the Northern Deanery website.

The Northern Deanery ensures each trust provides the highest quality training, supervision and support.

It is also recognised that a good lifework balance is essential for everyone’s well-being and development and training is geared towards this. The Deanery supports specialty doctors by paying relocation expenses up to £8,000 and the Trust in return offers many opportunities particularly in the field of Research and Development.