People suffering oesophageal problems can now be treated at West Cumberland Hospital as the service returns to the county.

The Whitehaven hospital will be the main centre for the service and there will also be a satellite site at Carlisle’s Cumberland Hospital.

It means patients will no longer have to travel out of the county for oesophageal treatment.

The service is being provided by the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals.

Daya Karat, clinical director for emergency surgery at the trust, said the service was making a welcome return to Cumbria.

He said: “Many years ago the trust had the equipment at the Cumberland Infirmary but the equipment became obsolete. For the last decade people have had to go to the North East to be treated. The tests take place over two successive days.

“Many people didn’t do it or couldn’t do it; it wasn’t feasible for many people.”

He said the trust has invested over £80,000 for the equipment to establish the service, so people can be treated locally.

“What we hope is the travel for people will be much less,” he said.

Each year around 220 people have travelled out of the county for treatment, including tests and surgery.

Oesophageal disorders are among the most common medical conditions, with symptoms of acid reflux affecting up to a third of the UK population.

Two clinical investigations can be carried out to see whether a patient’s oesophagus, known as a gullet, works properly and also a study to check reflux acid.

These tests, which are now available at both hospitals, can often involve two trips to the laboratory on two successive days.

Mr Karat added: “Delivering an efficient, expert and locally accessible service for our local communities will greatly improve the quality of care we are providing for patients requiring oesophageal investigations.

“I believe we will see the number of referrals to the service increase and I am pleased that we are able to provide it at both of our hospitals sites, with the main centre being at West Cumberland Hospital as part of our overall clinical strategy to provide more surgery in Whitehaven.”

Mr Karat previously worked for Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he ran the oesophageal service for over 10 years.

Subsequently, he has been able to provide training for staff in North Cumbria.

As part of the trust’s plans for West Cumberland Hospital, it also aims to bring more orthopaedic surgery back to the hospital in the near future.