Allerdale councillors have passed a vote of no confidence in the group tasked with tackling Cumbria's deep-rooted health service problems.

The council has tonight expressed extreme concern at the proposals emerging from the work of the Success Regime, which has been put in place by the Government to improve health services in north, east and West Cumbria.

Members agreed to write to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the Department for Health, calling on them to thoroughly investigate the impact of each of the Success Regime's proposed options.

They said consultation documents, due to be published on September 5, must include the impact of the proposals on the wellbeing of local people and the local infrastructure.

In a show of cross-party support, the letter will be signed by Councillor Alan Smith, council leader, and Councillor Tony Markley, leader of the opposition Conservative group.

The Success Regime's suggestions include removing in-patient facilities from Maryport and moving all night-time maternity services from Whitehaven to Carlisle.

Health bosses are blaming staffing shortages.

Councillor Markley, who runs a transport business, said cutting back operations because of staff shortages did not make sense.

He said: "If I had a load of wagons sitting there with no drivers I'd expect to get drivers for them and get them on the road.

"We should be training people to do the jobs.

"If beds are empty in the cottage hospitals they need to be filled and managed properly."

Councillor Smith said: "The people of north, east and West Cumbria should receive a safe healthcare service wherever they live. It should not be a postcode lottery.

"We have a recruitment crisis in the NHS.

"Just recently the Government has confirmed that it plans to end bursaries for student nurses and midwives. We need to be encouraging young nurses to come through the system, not charging them more."

He added concern that Cockermouth Community Hospital remained half empty despite promises made by Mr Hunt when Coun Smith visited alongside Workington MP Sue Hayman and Allerdale GPs.

Councillor Bill Finlay, independent group leader, blamed the problems on a failure of national leadership.

He said: "Governments of all complexions have peddled falsehood that improvements can be made in the NHS from savings.

"Life expectancy and population are increasing and costs of treatment are increasing.

"We need a political leadership at national level to argue for better funding.

"A properly funded NHS would be more expensive than the one we have at present but it would be far cheaper than a private arangement."

Councillor Mark Fryer, deputy council leader, called for a better NHS structure for the county to replace the multiple health trusts that currently exist, each with their own management and separate ways of working.

The motion, submitted by Coun Carni McCarron-Holmes and amended by Coun Phil Tibble, said: "This council views with extreme concern the emerging proposals contained in the Success Regime documentation and we have no confidence that the Success Regime board will address the fundamental problems in health care provision that we have in Allerdale and West Cumbria."