Maryport is continuing its fight to retain health services in the town.

More than 60 people turned up to a drop-in in the town on Wednesday to express their anger and confusion at the Clinical Commissioning Group’s decision to accept the Success Regime’s recommendation that all beds be removed from the town’s hospital.

The first move by the Maryport Health Alliance will be to forward the town’s own options for healthcare to the Cumbria County Council scrutiny committee, which meets on Wednesday. This committee has the power to refer decisions to the health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Maryport has lost its fight to keep beds but the deputy chairman of the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said he and the alliance would continue to work on two options, both of which would depend on Maryport retaining its total budget in the town.

Dr John Howarth said: “I can tell you that the partnership seems to be supporting the alliance’s option two which would still mean no overnight beds.”

However, if the town is able to prove the benefits of keeping 100 per cent of its total health budget in the town then thousands of people should be able to avoid travelling out of town for treatments. There would also be more money available to spend on prevention.

Alliance co-ordinator Kate Whitmarsh said Maryport has the highest incidence of child obesity in the country and the majority of children begin smoking in schools. Having the money to tackle these problems would be of great benefit to the town.

Matron Jen Lambert said Maryport hospital was fully staffed and positive about the future. “There is a buzz around the place. Don’t get me wrong – we all want the beds to stay. If they can’t though, we can see so much that could be done here. We could stop so many people from having to travel.”

The fight to retain beds will continue, however, and remains first priority for campaigners.

A further public meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 22, at the Ewanrigg community Centre, on Ennerdale Road, at 7pm.

The alliance will meet on April 4 when a business case for its options will be almost finalised.