A senior maternity consultant has written to the Prime Minister stressing that both obstetricians and midwives believe planned cuts to maternity services would be "dangerous".

Andrene Hamilton , labour ward lead at the West Cumberland Hospital , aimed to set Theresa May straight about health bosses' claims that clinicians feel the current unit is unsustainable.

She said it is actually the case that obstetricians and midwives in both Whitehaven and Carlisle have informed chiefs, both in meetings and in writing, that the Success Regime 's plans to leave only a midwife-led unit in west Cumbria would be dangerous.

Her letter followed comments made by Theresa May in a letter to outgoing Copeland MP Jamie Reed, in which she said: “I am advised that, whilst there are some dissenting views, the Success Regime considers a general consensus exists amongst clinicians that a consultant-led maternity unit is unsustainable in Whitehaven."

Dr Hamilton, a consultant obsterician and gynaecologist, said in her letter that she was concerned the Prime Minister's statement was based on misleading information. She highlighted an earlier letter signed by all of the Whitehaven obstetricians opposing the plans and added that this continues to be the consensus view.

Health bosses in the Success Regime and North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust want to remove consultant-led maternity from the West Cumberland Hospital and allow only low risk births in Whitehaven, at a midwife-led unit.

If complications arise, women would be transferred 40 miles by ambulance to the Cumberland Infirmary. But there are widespread concerns that this would put mums and babies at risk.

In her letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Hamilton said: "The trust and Success Regime are well aware that all obstetricians and midwives from both hospitals have informed the trust, at each meeting and in writing, that a stand-alone midwifery unit at West Cumberland Hospital would be dangerous for women.

"The trust still persists in presenting this as the favoured option, rejecting all united clinical advice."

Bosses have repeatedly claimed the unit is unsustainable due to long-standing staffing difficulties, particularly in paediatrics.

But Dr Hamilton also said news of new appointments in obstetrics had been withheld, and said the problems in paediatrics had only developed very recently. "One year ago all consultant posts were filled but four consultants have since left and all of those were due to dissatisfaction with the trust and not due to retirement," she said.

Dr Hamilton urged Mrs May to ensure that clinicians' views were being reported accurately and are appropriately considered.

"I am concerned that a decision will be made on false information that may lead to babies and mothers deaths. I would ask you to make every effort to ensure that this will not be the case," she added.

However despite the letter, trust medical director Dr Rod Harpin has today insisted that they are working alongside clinicians.

“We are fully engaged with our obstetrics and gynaecology consultants as well as our wider consultant body," he said.

"The consensus view of our obstetrics and gynaecology consultants and the wider clinical leadership team is that if we cannot maintain consultant-led units at both hospital sites, we must explore alternative ways to provide a safe and sustainable service for mothers and babies in west, north and east Cumbria. This view has been expressed consistently for many months.

"We have been open about the fact that we had some success last year in recruiting middle-grade doctors in maternity services. However, we have also been clear that the concerns around staffing mainly relate to our paediatric services."

He added that the Care Quality Commission has also recognised the long-standing challenges in this area.