A leading health activist is standing down from a Cumbrian hospital campaign, claiming that feared cuts to local services are already a “done deal”.

Mother-of-two Rachel Holliday had agreed to work with NHS bosses as part of efforts to attract more staff to the West Cumberland Hospital, in Whitehaven. But she has now resigned as chairwoman of the recruitment and retention sub-group, blaming lack of progress.

She hit out at the so-called “co-production” process, which was intended to see the NHS and wider community working together to safeguard the future of consultant-led maternity services.

Mrs Holliday, a former Cumbria Woman of the Year winner, is well-known for establishing the Calderwood House homeless shelter in Egremont.

But after more than a year of co-production, she said it was “frustrating” that no real progress had been made, with very few of their recruitment ideas being implemented.

Mrs Holliday said she got involved because NHS bosses claimed she and fellow We Need West Cumberland Hospital group campaigners were not working with them.

“I offered to get involved. But in the 12 months that I’ve chaired this group now, I’ve just felt we weren’t having any impact,” she explained.

“In my own job I managed to identify a building and get it open to the homeless in 24 months. But this obviously isn’t a place where my energy can be used in a productive way. If it was making progress, I would stay on it.”

Mrs Holliday said ideas have included establishing low cost housing for new doctors and nurses, free parking permits and free tickets - none of which are yet in place.

She added that she felt the co-production process was a PR exercise: “I always felt concerned the sub-group was run by the communications team, as opposed to HR.”

Mrs Holliday said it was with a “heavy heart” that she was also standing down from the campaign group committee.

“The group has been extremely good at holding the NHS to account,” she said. “But I have come to the conclusion decision makers and their legal teams are far too powerful, supported by excellent PR teams. No input I have into any of this process, in either group, will make any difference to the outcome. I’m disillusioned with it all.”

Health chief Stephen Eames says he is “disappointed” that Mrs Holliday is standing down from her co-production role.

The leader of the North Cumbria Health and Care System said: “We have always said that working together like this doesn’t come with a handbook and we are learning as we go.

“The group has a number of projects it will start working on in the new year, including improving our induction process and work to help find out how we can help new recruits to West Cumberland Hospital settle in the community.

“We are keen to involve a range of people in work to build and sustain services at West Cumberland Hospital and welcome anyone who wants to find out more.”

Richard Pratt, Archdeacon of West Cumberland who chairs the Working Together Steering Group, added: “I’m very grateful to Rachel for all of her ideas, energy and challenge over the last year, and hope she will be able to re-join us at some point in the future.”