A tearful new mum whose six-week-old baby would likely have died if there were no consultants in Whitehaven has made a heartfelt public plea to health chiefs.

It came as a retired midwife said there are no possible safeguards that will prevent women and babies from west Cumbria dying if consultant-led maternity moves to Carlisle.

They were among the speakers at a heated public meeting, attended by more than 400 people, in Whitehaven last night about the future of health services.

Andrea Murray introduced took her newborn baby Benjamin, who was born by emergency caesarean at the West Cumberland Hospital after problems arose during labour.

She broke down as she tried to relive the story of his birth.

Husband Andrew took over saying: “It was about 3am. They said she needed an emergency c-section. She had to have a general anaesthetic because she couldn’t have a spinal - it would take 15 minutes, which would endanger the baby’s life. Fifteen minutes and Benjamin wouldn’t be here today. What price can you put on that?”

Retired midwife Helen Walsh also urged bosses to think again. She said there is simply no safe alternative – because there is no way of knowing in advance if a seemingly simple birth is going to go wrong.

“How can you guarantee a grade one section will be performed within 30 minutes transfer time is at least an hour?” she asked. “How can you guarantee an ambulance and crew for transfer when no are available?”

She added that midwives will fear being held responsible if something goes wrong. Maternity services – along with many others across north Cumbria, such as paediatrics – are under review by the Government-appointed Success Regime.

Firm proposals are set to be unveiled on Monday but options include downgrading consultant-led maternity, meaning many women would have to travel to Carlsile’s Cumberland Infirmary to give birth.

The public meeting, organised by and chaired by Copeland MP Jamie Reed, was held at the United Reformed Church in Whitehaven.

Angry residents tackled Success Regime boss Sir Neil McKay and Stephen Eames, chief executive of the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Sir Neil said they had not ruled out retaining 24/7 consultant-led maternity but he could not see how they could address problems. Instead he suggested a dedicated maternity ambulance to take women in labour to the Cumberland Infirmary could be a solution.