Concerns raised by senior consultants at the West Cumberland Hospital over the future of maternity services have prompted Workington MP Sue Hayman to write to health bosses.

Mrs Hayman said she wanted clarification from the Success Regime after six consultants wrote to its chiefs, urging them to stop lying about staff support for proposals to downgrade West Cumbrian services.

The obstetric and gynaecology medics said: "We would like you to be aware that all the West Cumberland obstetric and gynaecology consultants and the outgoing clinical director have always and still reject all other models, apart from consultant-led services 24 hours a day at both West Cumberland Hospital and Cumberland Infirmary, on safety grounds.

"This was expressed to you verbally and in writing last year, and has always been expressed at subsequent meetings within the trust."

Bosses are considering downgrading the current full time consultant-led unit at the Whitehaven hospital.

If that happens all that would remain would be a midwife-led unit, possibly with consultants on hand 8am until 8pm.

As a result, women likely to need a consultant would have to travel to Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary to give birth.

There is also widespread concern that, should a simple birth go wrong in Whitehaven, women in labour would face a 40-mile trip in an ambulance to get the help they need.

Campaigners say this would put the lives of women and babies at risk. Bosses claim they cannot recruit consultants, and therefore cannot find a way to safety staff the existing 24-hour unit.

Mrs Hayman has written to Sir Neil McKay, who is leading the Success Regime in Cumbria.

Her letter says: "I would be grateful if you could clarify what support the Success Regime has received from the obstetrics and gynaecology consultants at both the West Cumberland Hospital and the Cumberland Infirmary, with regard to the options which will be put forward to the community in the upcoming consultation process, and what recent consultation has taken place with the clinicians in the maternity wards.

“I am very concerned that the consultants feel disturbed that their views are being misrepresented.

"We owe it to the people of West Cumbria that the Success Regime process must be carried out with utmost candour and transparency.

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“Both I and the community that I represent firmly believe that every avenue must be explored and every possibility exhausted in order to retain the full round-the-clock consultant-led maternity services at the West Cumberland Hospital.

"It is clear from the consultants’ letter that this is their view too.

“The Success Regime provides us with an opportunity to put in place a bespoke healthcare model that works specifically for Cumbria.

"To this end, it is imperative that the professional views of the workforce are taken into serious consideration, particularly when it comes to potential alternative maternity service models.

"To disregard or misrepresent their position would risk losing the support of the local community, which would be completely unacceptable."