An NHS trust in Cumbria and a privately owned civil engineering and construction company are inviting local businesses to be part of the team to deliver the next phase of the redevelopment of the West Cumberland Hospital.

GRAHAM has organised a ‘Meet the Buyer’ day at Barclays Eagle Labs in Whitehaven on September 14.

The event is a collaboration with North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) and the Chamber of Commerce to ensure local suppliers have the opportunity to provide services, and to be part of the supply chain that will deliver Phase 2 of the construction works at West Cumberland Hospital.

Executive director of performance at NCIC, Dean Oliver, said: “When delivering this kind of project it is vital that the local community have the opportunity to get involved, right from the outset.

“The hospital and its services are here to provide the local people with the best possible healthcare provisions, but if we can improve the local community along the way by creating jobs, spending public funds in the local area and improving infrastructure then we will aim to do so.”

Work on the phase two of the redevelopment of the West Cumberland Hospital is well under way, with the build set to begin in 2022, subject to approval of NHS Improvement.

The firm in charge of bringing the project to fruition, GRAHAM, has recently delivered the newly opened cancer centre at the Cumberland Infirmary.

If you’re a local supplier and would be interested in joining the ‘Meet the Buyer’ event, you can register your interest via the GRAHAM webpage.