Cumbria minor injury unit opening hours cut
Opening hours at three of Cumbria's minor injuries units are to be reduced because of staff shortages.
The facilities in Alston, Maryport and Keswick treat patients locally, to take the load off accident and emergency departments in Carlisle or Whitehaven.
During November they will close in the evenings, to allow staff to be deployed to in-patient wards elsewhere.
Health bosses said it was a temporary move while a recruitment drive aimed at boosting staffing levels was under way.
A spokesman for NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group said: "It is with regret that these very difficult decisions have had to be made, reducing the hours of services for a limited period.
"However, this has been done to ensure a safe environment for inpatients and staff.
"We are working with Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to address staffing issues to ensure normal services are resumed as safely and quickly as possible."