Health bosses say a new option for maternity services in West Cumbria would only see complex births travelling to Carlisle during the night.

Low risk deliveries would still be able to take place in Whitehaven throughout the night, in a 24-hour midwife-led unit.

During the day, there would be a consultant on site for some more complex cases, such as pre-planned caesareans.

But campaigners do not believe that is enough and say women in West Cumbria need consultants on site 24/7, rather than having to travel 40 miles in an ambulance in an emergency.

One has slammed bosses for failing to provide any detailed evidence that shows their other options would be safe.

The future of maternity services is currently under review, with options ranging from retaining a 24-hour consultant-led unit in Whitehaven; removing consultants altogether and having a midwife-only unit; to moving all births, day and night, to Carlisle.

Stephen Singleton, medical director of the Success Regime, which is leading the review, said earlier this week that a new fourth option had been added that offered an alternative.

This would see consultants on site from 8am until 8pm.

However he has now corrected comments made that it would result in all births going to Carlisle at night.

Instead he said there would be a 24-hour midwife unit in Whitehaven for low risk births.

He said: “One option that has been under consideration for some time is the provision of a stand alone midwife-led maternity unit at West Cumberland Hospital.

This remains an option.

He added: "But we are also exploring whether this option might be developed to include some daytime-only consultant services such as elective caesarean sections.

"Any midwife-led maternity unit would be a 24/7 unit and mothers-to-be would continue to give birth at the West Cumberland Hospital with the support of midwives."

The Success Regime will publish its preferred option in September, ahead of a formal public consultation.

But campaigners are again calling on bosses to listen to the community, saying it will only accept 24-hour consultant-led care.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed said he has repeatedly told bosses they must find a way to deliver that, and led a delegation of campaigners to lobby the Department of Health in London.

"I’ve been absolutely categorically clear that this is non negotiable - yet neither the Success Regime or the Government is listening.

"Under these proposals, I’d expect newly pregnant women to be given a lottery ticket alongside their first scan," he said.

Among those at the Westminster visit was Carole Woodman, of the West Cumbria Voice group, who raised concerns about the extent of engagement with the public, labelling it tokenistic.

A new round of stakeholder meetings were subsequently organsed, the first which Mr Singleton addressed in Workington this week.

But Mrs Woodman said that despite her calls, it again lacked detail and real community engagement.

She said there is still no evidence to show that the risk of transferring women in labour have been properly considered, and called for bosses to come clean.

"We still are not getting the detail we have asked for. Where are the risk assessments? Has Carlisle got the capacity?" she said.

Rachel Holliday, of the We Need West Cumberland Hospital campaign group, said: "I want to see the evidence from the ground - what do our paramedics, midwives, GPs and consultants say?"

The group has vowed to continue its fight, with Annette Robson adding: "A couple of weeks ago Stephen Singleton's leaked email said one of the options was no births at all at West Cumberland. How can we have any confidence or trust in the Success Regime when their medical director is giving such mixed messages?"