THIS weeks celebration belongs to the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, who have celebrated a long list of achievements and improvements throughout 2018/19.

The trust covers five hospitals in Cumbria and Lancashire including Furness General Hospital and Ulverston Community Health Centre.

In the past year, they have made many improvements which have changed the lives of thousands of patients.

A significant addition has been the new £12m South Lakes Birth Centre which opened at Furness General Hospital.

The unit at FGH features 14 en-suite birthing rooms with facilities for partners to stay over.

It also has two dedicated operating theatres, a Special Care Baby Unit, a Maternity Assessment area, a Transitional Care facility and a Bereavement Suite.

New recruitment methods enabled the trust to bring in nine new recruits to the care group in September.

The trust is also investing in their ‘Flourish at Work’ scheme.

The programme helps staff promote health and wellbeing by eating well and doing more exercise.

The trust is also celebrating the development of three Lloyds Pharmacies, including one in FGH.

Aaron Cummins, chief executive at UHMBT, said he was proud of the trust’s achievements.

He said: “It’s clear that we’ve come a long way in the last couple of years.

“I want to continue to foster an atmosphere where people feel empowered to try new, innovative ways of working that benefit themselves, their colleagues and their patients.

“The evidence is clear, happy well looked after staff means better outcomes for our patients. This is why we are continually investing in our ‘Flourish at Work’ programme.

“We are concentrating on how our staff can lead more active lives – and providing them with the tools and opportunity to do so.

“This year, we have earmarked nearly £20m to invest into new facilities for our patients and staff.

Jessica Gaite, a nurse working on Ward Six at Furness General, said the trust will go from strength to strength.

She said: “I came to work at the Trust last October.

“Everyone has been very supportive, both with my examinations and personally to help me get settled locally.

“I moved from the Philippines and there’s a number of nurses from there working at the trust so we are able to support each other, which is great.

“I was formerly a city girl but I am loving living in this area, it’s a great place to live.”