In two weeks’ time, Cumbrians will be going to the polls to decide who will be the county’s next MPs.

One of the hot topics both locally and nationally is the future of the NHS, but it remains to be seen whether the local population will make it a key consideration when going to the ballot box.

Many campaigners believe they will, and are therefore demanding candidates pledge to stop the controversial cuts currently being pushed through by the so-called Success Regime.

The entire north, west and east Cumbria area is affected by the hugely unpopular changes – with 10,000 people backing our award-winning Save Our Services (SOS) campaign.

This was launched after the Government-led Success Regime, backed by local NHS chiefs, put forward plans to centralise some services – including consultant-led maternity, paediatrics and stroke – in Carlisle.

The plans also included closing community hospitals beds across the area, leaving Maryport, Wigton and Alston with none.

These proposals went in front of NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) a few months ago, and were approved – but with caveats that mean some of the more extreme options could still be stopped.

The West Cumberland Hospital’s 24/7 consultant-led maternity unit was given a 12-month stay of execution to see if recruitment issues can be addressed. If not it will be downgraded.

The community hospitals will also lose their beds but health bosses have committed to work with each community to draw up alternative plans and locals hope some beds can still be saved.

Campaigners are now using the upcoming election to stress what they want from their next MPs, with many still calling for the entire Success Regime plan to be scrapped or at least halted.

The maternity decision has already been referred to the Secretary of State by the Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee, though members controversially failed to call in the other matters.


Alice Bondi Alice Bondi, a campaigner from Alston, said they intend to carry on fighting for their local services after the General Election.

“It is absolutely crucial that our next MP takes seriously the need to halt, or reverse, all the decisions made by the CCG on the Success Regime ‘options’, and enable a genuine discussion among the people who use and provide the services – that is the people of north Cumbria and the staff who work in our acute and community hospitals.

“These are the people who understand the whole context and no MP worth her or his salt can possibly ignore their constituents’ views on matters of such enormous impact on lives.

“The new MPs will be the people who can wield some power and influence and enable a complete rethink. Having the right people as MPs has never been more crucial,” she said.

Workington mum Andrea Murray, who believes her baby son Benjamin would have died had there been no consultants at Whitehaven, had her own message for Cumbria’s incoming politicians.

“Please consider Cumbria’s unique geographical circumstances when talking about our health services. We desperately need all our services, especially consultant-led maternity and all paediatric services.

“It can’t be right sending labouring women and ill babies and children all the way to Carlisle. If this is going to be the future, then the ‘golden hour’ will be used up travelling in an ambulance up the A595, and in many cases it will be too late to do anything when they finally arrive.

“Please do everything you can to keep the services we still have and bring back those that have been moved to make sure we, our children and their children have a fully functioning hospital nearby.”


Hazel Graham Brampton mother Hazel Graham, who is currently pregnant with her second child, said the cuts have to be stopped.

“I want our next MP to champion the abolition of the Success Regime, to acknowledge that NHS spending in north Cumbria reflects the needs of an aging and rurally diverse population, not overspending, and that we need social services free at the point of delivery, just like the NHS.

“As the wealthiest have suffered the least during austerity so far, it is only right that they pay a greater share towards this public service, rather than opting to pay for the private healthcare that the majority of people will never be able to afford. I hope to see an MP who stands up for the majority of normal people, rather than a wealthy few,” she added.

Retired Whitehaven consultant Mahesh Dhebar said the future politicians need to shift their focus to where it matters most.


Mahesh Dhebar “Issues of funding and organisational structure have dominated and become the customary debating ground in politics of health. But what gets missed out is a sense of need for emergency health care for west Cumbria. Health seems to be missing. I urge the public representative to put emergency care back in the politics of health,” he explained.

Lynne Davies, of the We Need West Cumberland Hospital campaign group, added: “We want someone who understands the issues regarding recruitment and is willing to fight not only for retention of maternity and paediatrics but support us in returning West Cumberland Hospital to the brilliant district general it was.”

Fellow member and group founder Siobhan Gearing added: “I would like to ask our next MP not to make promises unless they know they can deliver. The people the hospital serves are growing increasingly tired of empty promises for our NHS and getting absolutely nothing.

“I would ask that, whatever their plans may be, they keep the public informed at every step and include health campaigners in everything possible. More important, I would urge that they join our fight and not just sit back then say ‘well I tried’.”

John Holland, of Brampton League of Friends, said they want politicians that back their innovative solutions to tackle underlying problems – such as the shortage of nurses that bosses claim makes beds unsustainable.


John Holland “As the Joint League of Friends, we are going to try and sponsor an extra training course for those returning to nursing at the University of Cumbria. It’s not that difficult to do, but the sticking point is that they have to complete 100 hours of mentored work in hospitals.

“The university are up for running another course, training 15 at a time. We are up for meeting the expenses for things like childcare, travel and text books because they do not get a bursary any more.

“We now need pressure put on the NHS to make sure there are the mentors available. That’s what we want from our MP candidates throughout the county,” he explained.