HAPPY birthday to Furness General Hospital which marks its 40th anniversary this weekend.

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the hospital in Barrow’s Dalton Lane on Friday, May 24, 1985.

FGH (as it swiftly became known) replaced four local hospitals – Devonshire Road, Risedale Maternity, Roose and the crumbling North Lonsdale Hospital which had stood close to St George’s Square in Barrow since 1866.

We all have our links with Furness General Hospital. Happy moments, and incredibly tragic ones. For me, it is where my two children were born, where we turn to when things go wrong, and where my mum had lifesaving surgery and needed the support of the Critical Care Unit (CCU). It is part of our story, and a vital part of our community.

Down the decades there have been traumatic episodes including the scandal surrounding the deaths of mothers and newborn babies which sparked an investigation by Cumbria Constabulary and led to threats of the closure to the maternity ward. Faith needed to be restored and a new £12m South Lakes Birth Centre was opened at the site in 2018, with an average of between 1,200 and 1,300 babies being delivered there every year.

More recently we have seen the temporary pausing of level 3 care in the CCU and some changes to well-loved and well-used services.

There is a commitment now to ensuring better years are ahead and that, where changes are needed, we also see investment and improvements to that ensure our hospital is fit for the next 40 years of service.

The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust, which runs FGH, suffered during the years of Conservative cuts and had an £80m deficit four years ago.

Thanks to this government’s investment in our NHS – including the recently confirmed £22m a year additional funding that I have been arguing for to reflect the Trust’s uniquely challenging local Geography – the trust is now turning the corner and could return to break-even this year. This will give it more control and allow it to start investing in services.

So, many happy returns FGH – we all hope the birthday party goes well.