Campaigners are urging Copeland's new MP, Trudy Harrison, to meet to discuss the immediate plans for the future of the area's health services.

Yesterday it was announced that a decision on the Success Regime's controversial proposals for the West Cumberland Hospital would take place on March 8 at the Oval Centre in Workington.

An independent report revealed, following the public consultation which ended in December, 85 per cent of respondents wanted to retain a 24-hour consultant-led maternity department in Whitehaven.

Annette Robson, of the We Need West Cumberland Hospital campaign, said: "We are coming to a crucial point in the fight for our services at West Cumberland Hospital as we wait for the announcement of the Success Regime’s decision about our services and hope that Trudy Harrison as our new MP will back our campaign and make our voice heard in Westminster.

"We hope to meet with her soon to discuss the way forward.''

Retired consultant and campaigner Mahesh Dhebar said: "Yesterday's by-election result was a surprise. The first thing to do is to arrange a meeting with Trudy Harrison and ask her to take the West Cumberland Hospital to her heart and fight for us."

While Jan Den Bak, chair of West Cumbrians' Voice for Healthcare Chair, said: "We congratulate Trudy Harrison in becoming the MP for Copeland. We know that Trudy personally supports the battle to keep essential health services here in West Cumbria and West Cumbrians' Voice for Healthcare offer her our support.

"We will do everything we can to provide our new MP with the facts and evidence to persuade health ministers that losing these services would be a tragedy for this community."

And he added: "We expect Trudy to arrange to see health ministers immediately to explain the effects which Success Regime proposals will have on West Cumbrians as individuals [and] on our community and on the ability of the area to recruit for and deliver new nuclear and other projects here ."