Maryport people are being urged to turn out in force to a meeting next week about the future of health services in the town. 

As the NHS lays out plans which could include the removal of hospital beds, a Facebook page, Save Maryport Cottage Hospital, has been set up calling on the town to get to the meeting and ensure their voices are heard. 

Dr Brian Money, a local GP, said the people of Maryport must be heard and there should be standing room only at Thursday’s meeting to ensure that the decision makers know how much the local hospital and services are valued. 

He said he understood why the NHS Success Regime proposal to stop many community services in Maryport is "a simple way to save money without impacting on the core services of the major hospitals".

He said community services are valued because they are local, saving endless hours of travelling and providing personal care where many of the staff already know the patients.

Maryport Health Services is part of a national pilot called Primary Care Homes where a local organisation takes responsibility for providing the health care for their community. 

He added: “We cannot have our clinical services changed or removed before we have had a chance to decide how best to organise local services.” 

Ewanrigg and Netherton Tenants' and Residents' Association is also calling on people to attend.

Chairman, Bill Barnes, said removing one pillow from the cottage hospital is a step too far. 

“We are printing out leaflets to hand out to people about the meeting,” he said. His wife, Sharon, who is chairwoman of Ewanrigg Local Trust, said the trust would be looking at ways to campaign against any downgrading of vital services in Maryport.

Mayor, Linda Radcliffie, is a public governor on the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. 

She has signed her name to a letter from the trust which has over 16,000 members.

The trust’s letter suggests the Success Regime has seen community hospital beds as “a cash cow to solve problems in the acute system.”

The letter says the trust will be advising governors, “in the strongest terms” not to approve any merger of significant transaction arising from the Success Regime. 

Former League of Friends treasurer and long-time campaigner, Pat O’Shea, said the town saved its cottage hospital last time and must be prepared to fight for it again. “I will be at the meeting and so should everyone.”

The Success Regime will present its findings in the Maryport Rugby League Club on Mealpot Road at 6.30pm next Thursday, May 5.

Allerdale council is trying to organise a meeting of affected town and parish councils and health officials to decide on a strategy to preserve health services in the district.