Update on the Clinical Senate review regarding Level 3 critical care at Furness General Hospital

The North East and Yorkshire Clinical Senate visit took place over 14 and 15 September 2026 to review the temporary arrangements currently in place for patients requiring ongoing Level 3 intensive care at FGH. The ICB and UHMBT continue to work together to ensure the population have access to a safe and effective Level 3 critical care service, and this review is a key step in the service change process that the ICB is following.

The purpose of a Clinical Senate review was to provide recommendations, not make decisions. No final decision has been made about the future of ongoing Level 3 care at FGH.

The Clinical Senate review considered a range of factors, including patient outcomes, workforce sustainability, transfer arrangements, operational resilience and alignment with wider NHS priorities. The visit included conversations with colleagues from both FGH and Royal Lancaster Infirmary, local stakeholders and members of the public, and we greatly appreciated the input, transparency and candour from those who took part in those.

The Senate shared the opinion that critical care in Barrow remains a vital service that is very important to the hospital. Panel members recognised that significant progress has been made to support and strengthen the service but were clear that it remains fragile and requires a Trust-wide approach to ensure it can offer the safest possible care to local people. 

The Senate is still working through information and data gathered during the review, and the full report of findings will be shared with commissioners in the ICB later this year.