A councillor at the centre of a row over controversial health decisions has criticised the way a key meeting was organised - saying elected representatives were not properly consulted.

It comes as the minutes of a private meeting with NHS chiefs are finally made public, following pressure from campaigners.

Raymond Gill was among four members who left the Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee meeting on March 22 before the final vote, claiming he did not realise it was being held that same day.

The meeting then fell into disarray, with an earlier decision to refer plans to downgrade paediatrics and close community hospital beds to the Secretary of State controversially overturned.

Only plans for maternity were referred.

Campaigners branded it a "shambles" and called for a re-run after councillors said they did not understand the voting process.

An investigation by Cumbria County Council has since ruled that proper procedure was followed and there are no grounds for a re-run.

But Mr Gill, a Copeland councillor and committee vice chairman, said members never agreed the process. "What's annoyed me is that this has all been officer-led. The process wasn't decided by elected members," he said.

In usual circumstances, members would have taken the first vote on which matters to refer, then adjourn to another date.

A period of mitigation would follow, with lead scrutiny members meeting with NHS bosses to see if a compromise could be reached. They would then report back to the committee on another date for a final vote.

On this occasion, in a bid to resolve it ahead of the local elections, it was rushed through in a single day, confusing some members.

Mr Gill believes councillors should have made that decision. "I'm vice chairman. I should have been in on these discussions."

As vice chairman Mr Gill would also have been eligible to attend the private discussions with NHS chiefs had he not left.

The minutes of these discussions have now been published by the council.

Some campaigners feared the scrutiny U-turn was a result of a secret deal with health bosses, but the minutes suggest that was not the case.

They show that each of the three areas - paediatrics, maternity and children's services - were discussed during the 40 minute meeting, attended by two councillors, two council officers and four senior NHS managers.

The main concerns of councillors were flagged up by scrutiny members, and bosses put forward suggestions for compromise.

On paediatrics that included a commitment to carry out more analysis of travel implications, shift in demand and safety.

On community hospitals, bosses pledged to shifts more resources into community care and work more closely with the council.