CONTROVERSIAL plans to downgrade maternity and paediatric services and close community hospital beds are sexist, it has been claimed.

Alice Bondi, a Cumbrian health activist, believes the Success Regime's preferred options breach equality legislation in several areas.

But she is particularly concerned that women will be disproportionately affected - as the majority of parents and carers who will have to undertake long journeys to see their loved ones will be women.

Ms Bondi, who is part of a group fighting to save beds at Alston hospital but also services across the area, said the Regime's Equality Impact Analysis fails to address this, and said it is "based on assumptions".

She explained: "They talk about how the number of children sent from Whitehaven to Carlisle would be roughly equal males and females so there would be no gender impact, but I'm talking about the mothers.

"I'm not saying that fathers aren't interested in their children because clearly they are, but the reality is that it is very often the mothers who are going to be affected by these proposals."

Ms Bondi argued that in many households the father is the main earner, so is less likely to be able to have the flexibility needed to stay with a poorly child, and is also more likely to need the car if they only have one.

She added that her concerns also applies to older people who will be affected by the closure of community hospital beds, as in this case female carers would be disproportionately affected - including having to make long journeys on public transport or take on more care at home.

"Women are more likely to be carers. As well as partners it is more likely to be a daughter looking after a parent, and friendship carers are more likely to be women," she said.

"The other thing that really bothers me is that any carer who knows the person they look after is going to shoved into hospital 30 miles away is going to try and keep them at home for as long as possible.

"These people, particularly women, will be struggling to cope for longer and their own health will suffer. I am not saying that men aren't going to be affected, but it will be largely women.

"They have done a gender impact assessment but have done it appallingly badly, without looking at any of this."

Brampton mother Hazel Graham, who has called on health leaders to scrap the consultation and start again, agreed that the current consultation document goes against equality legislation.

"It is sexist. Women are disproportionately affected by all of the proposals for children and maternity services," she said.

Stephen Childs, chief executive of NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) denied this was the case.

"We believe that we comply on equality legislation. We've taken legal advice and that's our position," he said.

Ms Bondi, who described the report as 'a load of platitudes', also criticised the language used in the document. "They talk about 'perceived' gaps in public transport. It makes it sound like we are all suffering a collective illusion and there are actually loads of buses on Alston Moor. To say I'm appalled is an understatement," she added.

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