Health bosses could look at hiring beds at a local rest home to provide palliative care for Maryport patients.

This suggestion, from Maryport GP Dan Berkeley, was raised at a drop-in event in the town to discuss end-of-life care for people if beds are removed from the hospital.

Meetings are also being organised with Bell Care and the Department for Work and Pensions and Inspira to look at hiring local people to fill vacancies.

On average one or two patients receive palliative care in the Victoria Cottage Hospital at any time.

Despite a relatively small number, residents were deeply concerned about what would happen to those patients if plans by the Government's Success Regime to scrap the beds go ahead.

Kate Whitmarsh, spokeswoman for Maryport Health Alliance, said while most of those attending the drop-in said dying at home was the preference, there were times when 24-hour hospital care was needed.

“They agreed that being in Maryport was preferable to being in an acute hospital,” she said.

Dr Berkeley warned that was out of the control of the people of Maryport so the town had to look at what else it could do.

He said hiring two beds at Riverside Court Care Home and providing similar palliative care to the hospital might be one solution.

Crosby resident Alice Oglanby said: "Our number one priority is to keep the hospital beds open. If the worst comes to the worst we need to fight to ensure that the funding saved by closing the beds remains in Maryport."

There was unanimous concern about the level of health provision in the community and the gap that would open if beds were removed.

Resident Donald Leighton said: “We can think of ways to ease the situation, but none of this will replace the loss of beds. It will fall short."