Health campaigners in Maryport say it could be “almost impossible” to save the town’s in-patient hospital service, as plans to reserve beds at another cottage hospital are revealed.

People across the town have been fighting to save the beds at the Victoria Cottage Hospital since health bosses at the Success Regime revealed they could be lost in a bid to improve services across the area.

The plan is now the regime’s preferred option, and campaigners are working to draw up suggestions.

At a meeting of the new Maryport Health Alliance this week, Ewanrigg Local Trust development officer Kate Whitmarsh said the town was in an almost impossible position.

She added: “We all want to retain beds. We all want the best for Maryport and we are all working together.

“Our fear, however, is that if we do not come up with the almost impossible task of finding an alternative that will suit the Success Regime we may lose everything we have.”

Dr John Howath, deputy chief executive of Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, who has been helping the alliance to come up with alternative proposals, agreed.

He said: “I will have a look at how we can present an option of keeping 24/7 beds here. I do believe, though, that if we present something that is not substantially different to what we have now, it will be dismissed.”

He made a proposal that would see more day patients, including cancer patients, treated at Maryport, with in-patient beds reserved in another cottage hospital for use by Maryport residents.

Money saved through this would be invested in ensuring that proper end of life care could be given at home and to pay for more treatments in Maryport, he said.

He also suggested that the savings could be used to set up a community transport scheme which would allow family and friends to visit patients in hospital.

Maryport matron Jen Lambert said that while keeping services as they were was the best option, she was concerned about staffing levels.

She said: “We are at a stage now where, if anyone calls in sick we could be in trouble.

“Staff are quite enthusiastic at the prospect of doing more of the procedures that are usually done out of town. I also think it would attract more staff here.”

Dr Dan Berkeley asked for another option to be considered where Maryport could provide step-up care.

This would involve patients being in Maryport hospital for no more than three days where they would be treated or then referred on to the acute hospital.

He added: “This has worked successfully in hospitals in Devon and Cornwall. Palliative care patients would be the exception. They would stay for as long as needed.”

Save Our Beds campaign chairman Bill Barnes and hospital league of friends chairwoman Joan Risley were against the proposals.

Maryport and district residents are being urged to have their say on these suggestions on Wednesday.

A drop-in will be held at the Ewanrigg and Netherton Community Centre from 4.30pm to 7pm.