Hospital campaigners in Keswick are celebrating after being told their bed numbers could actually increase.

A public meeting this afternoon heard that although some cottage hospitals may lose beds, there is a strong case for upping numbers in the town from 12 to 16.

The revelation came out as people packed into the Skiddaw Hotel to tackle health chiefs about controversial options for the future of healthcare.

It is part of work by the Success Regime to transform North and West Cumbria's struggling NHS.

Options include closing community hospital beds and moving more services from Whitehaven to Carlisle.

Many towns have launched their own campaigns to save their cottage hospital beds.

David Lewis, of Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs community hospitals, said they were currently struggling to staff lots of small bedded units due to long standing challenges with nursing recruitment locally.

Centralising beds on to fewer sites would therefore help tackle this issue.

However he told the people of Keswick that he would be making the case to increase their bed numbers to 16, rather than cut them.

He said: "I can't say it's going to happen because it's not my decision.

"As far as I can see Keswick would not just be retained but expanded as far as beds are concerned. I can't promise but I can as a clinician put forward options."

  • People had to be turned away from the meeting because there were too many of them.

The NHS's Success Regime booked the function room of Keswick's Skiddaw Hotel for the third meeting in a series of events to hear people's views about the health service. 

The function room's capacity was around 150 but more than 300 people arrived to take part in the discussion. 

The decision was made to carry on with the meeting but it meant half the crowd were left outside. 

Around 400 people attended a meeting in Whitehaven last night and a meeting is scheduled for Maryport Rugby League Club on Mealpot Road tonight, from 6.30pm.