Whitehaven's Town Crier has been supporting the News & Star Save Our Services appeal by taking to the streets with our petitions.

Rob Romano was out in the town centre, collecting signatures and publicising our fight against cuts to health services.

The Government’s Success Regime is currently consulting on controversial plans to downgrade services at the West Cumberland Hospital, including consultant-led maternity, paediatrics and urgent stroke care.

It also wants to remove beds from community hospitals across the area and reduce the total number in the Carlisle and Whitehaven hospitals.

The plans have attracted huge opposition, with many claiming it will put lives - particularly those of mothers and babies - at risk by forcing west Cumbria’s most sick people to travel 40 miles or more in an ambulance to the Cumberland Infirmary.

Mr Romano, who has lived in Whitehaven since 1974, is determined to do whatever he can to stop the cuts, and is urging others to do the same.

He still remembers coming to the area with his two sons, having married a Whitehaven girl, more than four decades ago - but said he never imagined he would one day be given the prestigious honour of becoming the town crier.

“It was a tatty town back then, in a state of disrepair, the harbour especially, and in need of some TLC. The hospital was providing all the necessary services needed by the area’s population and included a GP training department,” he recalled.

But gradually regeneration projects started to happen, and Mr Romano could see there was a bright future for the area.

“As a retail travel manager, working in Whitehaven town centre, I was keen to contribute in any way to promote of our Georgian town. I became involved in the local Chamber of Trade & Commerce and other groups who wished to improve our town.

“In the year 2000 I was asked if I would be the Whitehaven Town Crier – since when I have met a lot of nice people and had some fun as well."

But it is also a role he takes seriously, particularly if it can help a greater cause, and said the hospital’s future is close to his heart.

“If available I will always assist any good cause if asked – as well as do the ‘shout’ as and when needed. We have seen the reduction and cuts made to hospital services and the excellent staff put under extreme pressure to cope – which they do, successfully and usually with a smile,” he said.

Mr Romano said things came to a head 10 years ago, when he was among those who took part in a high-profile march, organised by News & Star sister paper The Whitehaven News, opposing similar cuts to those planned now.

But he said despite promises made then by politicians and health leaders, west Cumbria continues to face even more cuts to its hospital services.

“They continue to talk, spouting political beliefs rather than work together, communicate and cooperate with each other for the benefit of the electorate – and this is one of the complaints made by many signatories to the Save Our Services petition.

“The main concern from those signing the petition were the problems created by moving services to Carlisle – from transport time on an unacceptable A595, the resultant delay in, perhaps, lifesaving treatment – and in maternity cases, overnight – especially for difficult births, life threatening danger. People believe that in some cases death will result.

“And then there are family visiting problems over such a distance,” he added.

Mr Romano said there were also questions as to why the nuclear industry was not contributing towards ensuring vital health services remain in west Cumbria.

“In other words our governments, over the years, have put a nuclear issue on our doorstep, not acceptable elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and have not provided a proper and decent infrastructure – roads, rail, services including a hospital,” he added.

He stressed that people were not taking an anti-nuclear stance, but making a call for the same level of care available to other communities across the UK.

Mr Romano added that his personal belief is that the area has been neglected by Westminster over at least four decades - and he is now calling for that to change.

*Mr Romano is among those who has answered our call to help make the Save Our Services campaign a success.

In order to convince bosses their options are not acceptable to the people of north and west Cumbria we need as many signatures as possible on both our online and paper petitions.

We are now urging anyone who has not yet done so to add their name to the petition, and to spread the word to others.

To get involved either sign up online at www.newsandstar.co.uk or request paper copies of the petition forms by contacting pam.mcgowan@cnmedia.co.uk or call 01228 612661. These can also be downloaded from the website and printed out.