Outgoing Copeland MP Jamie Reed has labelled the Government's Success Regime "an expensive wasted opportunity".

He added that he has yet to find any support for its controversial proposals to overhaul the local NHS.

Mr Reed - who will stand down as MP at the end of the month to take up a new job at Sellafield, triggering a by-election - made the comments in his official response to the high-profile consultation about its plans.

These include downgrading maternity and paediatrics at the West Cumberland Hospital and moving more seriously ill patients to Carlisle. Community hospital beds are also under threat.

The consultation closed just before Christmas, and Mr Reed has now made his official submission public.

In it he reiterated calls for Prime Minister Theresa May and Health secretary Jeremy Hunt to think again, visit the Whitehaven hospital and draw up new plans, with the resources the area needs.

The Success Regime was brought in to address deep-rooted problems in the north and west Cumbrian NHS, promising to work with communities to find innovative solutions.

But Mr Reed said this has not happened, accusing the Regime of "betraying" local people.

"The Success Regime has been an expensive wasted opportunity, owing to a lack of support and resource from Government, and a lack of consideration of the consequences of these proposals for communities in west Cumbria," he said.

"I have yet to find any support for the proposals. It is evident to me that the initial expectations of the west Cumbrian community with regard to the Success Regime have been betrayed.

"What should have been a comprehensive re-design of local health services in order for the NHS to meet the needs of the local population has become a Trojan horse for a cost and service reduction programme driven by central Government.

"More than ever before, I call upon Government to re-commit to support our communities to overcome the deep-rooted challenges that we face, implement an ambitious recruitment programme, and develop options that retain the principle of a truly National Health Service here in west Cumbria."

Mr Reed stressed that he does not accept any of the maternity options proposed by the Regime and supports concerns raised by local midwives. He also said 24-hour paediatric inpatient beds must be retained.