Governors of a Cumbrian health trust have clashed with their own board over controversial local NHS reforms.

The Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is one of the key partners in the Government’s Success Regime, which has come up with the radical Healthcare for the Future proposals.

However, its own Governors Council has refused to back the plan.

As a foundation trust, the CPFT has elected governors who represent the views of thousands of members – including patients, local people and staff. They are there to advise the board on key issues, hold directors to account and make sure public views are heard.

With that in mind, the Governors Council has written a formal letter opposing the vast majority of the proposals.

This has been submitted to the NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group as part of the formal consultation process.

The letter, signed by Keith Amey on behalf of the Governors Council, states: “Although a consensus with the board was desired, our members – who we represent – made their views crystal clear.

“Consequently, we find ourselves unable to fully concur with the majority of the proposals set out in the consultation.”

He then goes on to outline the council’s response to each of the consultation questions, setting out governors’ views on everything from maternity and paediatrics to cottage hospitals.

On maternity, Mr Amey says: “Nothing other than a full 24/7 consultant-led maternity service at West Cumberland Hospital is acceptable.

“Without a risk assessment and financial business case, accepting any of the options offered would take us into unchartered waters. Staffing issues must be seen as a recruitment problem to solve, not a reason to reduce a service, thereby putting mothers from the west at risk.”

The letter adds that the options would increase pressure on Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary and asks for assurances that this would not impact on services there. It also states that there is no mention in the consultation of mothers wishing to give birth at home.

On children’s services, Mr Amey adds overnight beds must be kept at Whitehaven for all children other than those so seriously ill they would need to be treated at a specialist hospital like Newcastle.

“We do not agree with keeping just ‘low acuity’ patients there. The human rights of a child need to be considered in all cases,” he said.

On community hospitals, the governors support the “evolving work” that is underway to draw up alternative plans for each community and call for that to continue. The letter adds: “Until alternative beds can be found within the locality with appropriate social care packages, closing beds at Wigton, Maryport and Alston is not acceptable.”

The governors do “reluctantly” back the plans to care for all emergency stroke patients at a new hyper-acute unit in Carlisle. However, they state: “Although it will provide better outcomes for many patients, it will disadvantage west Cumbrians”, and calls for improved arrangements to improve ambulance response times in remote western areas.

Mr Amey, public governor for Copeland and chairman of the governance group, goes on to criticise the consultation process. “We were most disappointed in the poor engagement process. Had more information been available, we would be in a better place now,” he says.

The letter also raises concerns about unpaid carers; funding issues, particularly relating to social care and home care packages; and the impact of increased distances on patients’ family networks.

It adds: “As a body we also feel that, for west Cumbrians, it will be the more acutely sick who are being required to do the most travelling. This is unfair, and in the long term will surely prove inefficient and more costly as the demand for ambulance transport increases.”

The letter does, however, praise the efforts of trust staff and directors, particularly for the support they have provided to community hospital groups in drawing up their own alternative plans to save beds.