WORRIES about threats to West Cumberland Hospital's vital life-saving services have been flooding in to The Whitehaven News.

Following the launch of the Fight For Our Hospital campaign last week it is clearly evident that this community still shares major concerns - particularly about under-threat A&E and maternity.

A retired GP, who now chairs the West Cumbrians Voice for Health Care group, said members were pleased The Whitehaven News had taken up the hospital campaign once again.

Dr Jan den Bak said: "With you we share the worry that consultants will resign because they are not properly listened to or because they are expect to work unworkable rotas with insufficient lower grade staff. It would mean that an already precarious situation could escalate into a situation where there is no way back.

"From your interview with Sir Neil McKay it is clear that though even if he wants to he cannot guarantee fully consultant lead A&E and maternity services using the words ‘safe’ and sustainability’ as a get out."

And Siobhan Gearing, campaign leader with the We Need West Cumberland Hospital group which has over 15,000 Facebook members, said: "We are a unique rural area where a tractor or an accident on the A595 can delay your possibly life-saving journey."

As someone who has organised well-attended campaigning events, the mother-of-two said: "At the moment I have no faith in the Success Regime, the We Need West Cumberland Hospital Campaign has written to them both as individuals and as a campaign group and had no response.  

"I applaud the Whitehaven News in asking the questions they have to Sir Neil McKay, however, he has not directly answered them. For example the question about poorly children travelling 40 miles from WCH to Carlisle, the answer given is 'all across the country children travel'. Yes they do but there is not 40 miles hospital to hospital difference."

Siobhan, of Mirehouse, added: "The Success Regime has not been able to directly answer what progress they have made. Why? Is this because they have not made any or because they are not prepared for the public's reaction to bad news?"

The campaign group has sent an open letter to the new hospital chief executive Stephen Eames. 

Members are calling for the new boss to announce that Northumbria Trust will have no part in the area's management of health care and for acute emergency care to be brought back to West Cumberland.

"May we also add that there is now a very urgent need to support and give confidence to key staff who continue to provide urgent patient care at WCH in extreme circumstances."

Muncaster Castle's Patrick Gordon-Duff-Pennington also supports the campaign. Last month he wrote a letter to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, expressing his "deep anxiety over the difficulties faced by the the NHS in West Cumbria''. Mr Gordon-Duff-Pennington, 86, stated: "Our youngest grandchild was born there 43 years ago.....My wife was there before she came home to die four and half years ago and was treated with the utmost care for which I was extremely grateful.''

* See letters page