A spokesperson for NCIC said that it is "making good progress in recruiting to both medical and nursing vacancies," despite the national concern of medical recruitment which is "amplified" in North Cumbria. "We have put a new strategy in place to attract new consultants which includes continuous professional development and building partnerships with the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine." "I'm really pleased to report good progress is being made under North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust's new leadership," he said. Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, based in Carlisle, is a partnership between the University of Cumbria and Imperial College London. The medical school is training the next generation of doctors, with a bespoke curriculum informed by Cumbria's health inequalities and infrastructure.