Campaigners have accused health bosses of failing to listen to public concerns by ploughing ahead with controversial plans.

Some have branded all talks to date pointless after options published included downgrading maternity services, cutting children’s services and closing community hospital beds – despite fierce opposition.

West Cumberland Hospital protesters and cottage hospital League of Friends groups have all said they are extremely disappointed with the finalised public consultation document.

They said that despite Success Regime bosses and leaders of all the local health trusts having been at public meetings across the area where concerns were clearly set out, they have pressed ahead with very few changes to their original vision.

Siobhan Gearing, founder of the We Need West Cumberland Hospital, said the Success Regime has still not addressed the safety fears they have repeatedly brought up.


Siobhan Gearing She added that its boss, Sir Neil McKay, was at a meeting in Whitehaven last week when residents made it absolutely clear they would accept nothing less than a 24-hour consultant-led maternity unit, yet still they want to remove it.

“These are ludicrous options and now is the time for the whole of west Cumbria to make our voices heard,” she said.

Maurice Tate, of the Maryport League of Friends, said he was devastated that none of the options would see community hospital beds retained in the town.

“I think these people decided from day one, at the back end of last year, what was going to happen,” he said.


Maurice Tate “They have got it in their heads that they can deliver healthcare in the community in a county like Cumbria in the same way they do in a big city like London. I’m afraid that’s impossible.

“They will soon go back to the Government and say that they’ve consulted, they’ve ticked all the boxes.”

The Joint League of Friends committee is set to meet on Monday to discuss its next move.

Its chairwoman, Eveline Dugdale, who is leading the Wigton hospital campaign, is also angry that engagement carried out by the Success Regime to date seems to have been ignored.


Related: Revealed: Success Regime's plans for health services in Cumbria


She said dozens of elderly Wigton residents have written letters calling for beds to be retained, but she has been told these will now be shelved as they were not part of the formal consultation.

“I thought they might listen, but they haven’t. They say the hospital will be kept open, just without beds. But a hospital without beds isn’t a hospital – it’s just a clinic,” she added.

Carole Woodman, a former Copeland councillor who has been campaigning to save services in west Cumbria, accused the Success Regime of failing to address widespread concerns.

“They are still talking about moving services but these options won’t improve quality and safety or patient choice and won’t have community support. So why are they doing this?” she said.

Instead she wants to see real long term solutions considered that both tackle recruitment issues and retain the services people want.


Annette Robson Annette Robson, of the We Need West Cumberland Hospital campaign group, said they are also not convinced the proposals will resolve these issues as staff will not want to work in a hospital that is lacking services such as a 24-hour children’s ward and special care baby unit.

With regards to proposed changes to emergency care, she added: “This should be not just the ‘abscess hospital’. All non-complex surgical and trauma emergency should be at West Cumberland Hospital.

“If joint replacement can be done at Whitehaven then all non-complex trauma emergency can. The management should be looking at doing the maximum possible, not the minimum necessary.”

Copeland MP Jamie Reed has repeatedly said that no option other than a 24/7 consultant-led maternity unit will be acceptable to the people of west Cumbria, and challenged the Success Regime to work with the community to find a solution that meets public demands.


Related: Plans will not put patients at risk - health chief


Workington MP Sue Hayman said she was very unhappy with the options put forward, and again said bosses have not listened.

“The biggest things that concern me are the maternity options and the options on community beds. I would be extremely concerned about women travelling these distances in ambulances while in labour. That’s a huge concern,” she said.

“I’m also really disappointed that none of the options mention Maryport. It’s as if Maryport has been totally wiped out of the equation. I have discussed this directly with Sir Neil McKay and am very disappointed it’s not even been mentioned.”

She added that despite repeated mentions in the consultation document about transport issues needing to be addressed, as far as she can see the Success Regime has not put forward any solutions.

She also questioned Sir Neil’s insistence that the changes are not financially driven, adding: “Affordability comes into this document a number of times.”