Plans for future of Cumbria's hospitals to be released on Monday

The Success Regime will be releasing its formal consultation document into local healthcare next week.

Chairman Sir Neil McKay told a public meeting at Cockermouth Community Hospital on Tuesday: “The future of maternity services at the West Cumberland Hospital has been discussed endlessly. We have real concerns about whether it's possible to maintain a consultant-led maternity service there.

“If our concerns are correct then we have to come up with other options. I would fail if I offered a service that was not sustainable.

“This is a complex set of issues, our thoughts are in the consultation document. The present position is a real worry and I understand how passionate people feel.”

Cockermouth Community Hospital has a bright future, according to Success Regime chairman Sir Neil McKay.

He told a packed public meeting on Tuesday: "This is a wonderful hospital which is not used well enough, we have a real chance to make sure it is buzzing. Let no one be in any doubt this hospital has a very important future.

"We need to ensure it provides more facilities and services, is busier and more effective."

He also said the Success Regime, which will be releasing its formal consultation document into local healthcare on Monday, is looking into increasing the number of beds at the town hospital, which currently has eight beds.

The regime is proposing to reduce beds in Maryport, Wigton and Alston.

"Integrated care teams are the bedrock of our proposals for the future. These teams will find ways of preventing people being referred to hospital unless they need to go. They will also ensure people go home as soon as possible, too often people stay longer than they need to," said Sir Neil.

"If these teams work as we hope there will not be the need for so many beds."

The Success Regime's plan will offer "clinical sustainability and financial affordability", said Sir Neil. It will be available on the regime's website and in surgeries.

"The public will have three months to comment, no decisions have been made or will be made until the end of that time.

"If the consultation exercise results in three community hospitals not having beds we will be thinking of of alternative ways these hospitals can develop."

One of the biggest problems the area faces is recruiting staff. "We have to tackle that, we have a 10-point plan," said Sir Neil.

Sitting alongside him at the top table was Dr Andrew Brittlebank, medical director for the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation. The meeting was chaired by Workington MP Sue Hayman.

Almost 40 per cent of qualified nurse posts are unfilled, said Dr Brittlebank. “We have had grave difficulties with this, particularly in smaller hospitals. “It's very much a hand to mouth existence and the situation needs to be made more secure.”

There were more than 40 people at the meeting in the hospital. Many questions were asked, including how doctors and nurses could be attracted to the area and if public transport would be improved to ensure people could get to hospitals. Someone else claimed that some doctors were retiring early and then working as locums.

Alan Smith, leader of Allerdale council and a Cockermouth town councillor, said: “This hospital has an unused diagnostic suite and empty spaces, it's a terrible waste of public money.

“How can you have an integrated care scheme in a non-integrated area? “When this report comes out we will be going through it with a fine tooth comb.”

Ken Archer, chairman of the hospital League of Friends, pointed out that he took part in a meeting about the hospital six years ago, before it was built. “We were shown plans and told about all the services that would be offered and brought closer to home. The hospital has been totally underused, I would like the Success Regime to look back at those original plans,” said Mr Archer.

GP Simon Desert, who was also at the 2010 meeting, said: “The planning for the community hospital was based on a model of integrated care, it differs a little bit from yours but was very similar.

“There are lots of reasons it has not been possible to bring about the changes but uncertainty in the acute trust has been the dominant reason. We are still motivated and the business case still stacks up.”

“If you have a business case that stacks up that's music to my ears,” said Sir Neil.