People who have used maternity services at north Cumbria's hospitals are being asked for their experiences.

Healthwatch Cumbria, NHS organisations and maternity services liaison committees will be visiting venues across West Cumbria and have set up an online questionnaire. 

They will use the feedback to help determine the future of maternity services at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary. 

Sarah Hall, chairman of the Eden and Carlisle maternity services liaison committee, said: "The aim now is to involve users of the service in designing the future.

"We want views on what is a good maternity service, so that plans progress with local needs in the forefront.

"Local views will help make sure that maternity care has a more family balance the professionals’ emphasis on safety."

A project team investigating options for maternity services in Cumbria was set up in June. 

The team has been asked to produce a feasibility study on the costs and viability of maintaining four consultant-led maternity units at Whitehaven’s West Cumberland Hospital, Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary and hospitals in Barrow and Lancaster.

Earlier this year a 100-page report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists urged NHS bosses to invest in the West Cumbria service.

The review criticised North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust and the NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group for a “lack of strategic medical leadership”.

It recommended that the health trusts should have four consultant-led units and develop midwifery units.

North Cumbria hospital managers revealed last year that they were looking at ways to improve maternity services in the county.

The trust originally said it had no preferred option about whether or not to centralise consultant-led maternity services in Carlisle, but of three options put forward, only one would see specialists remain at the West Cumberland Hospital.

The trust has asked the project team to report back within a year.

The project team is chaired by Dr David Rogers, medical director of NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group.

He said: "We know how strongly local people feel about keeping consultant-led units at Carlisle and Whitehaven and we have given a commitment that we will look at every possible way of being able to safely and sustainably deliver this.

"So this engagement is not about whether or not we should maintain consultant-led units.

"It is about the services a woman is looking for before, during and after her pregnancy.

"This will ensure that future maternity services meet the needs and wishes of women and provide as much choice as they possibly can."

The project team aims to complete the feasibility study by early next year. 

There is an online questionnaire www.surveymonkey.com/r/maternityviews and people can also email comments to info@healthwatchcumbria.co.uk