Concerns about transport links and calls for more funding were just some of the items discussed at the latest Success Regime meeting.

Many fears were voiced at the meeting held at Cockermouth School’s Eco Centre to discuss sweeping changes to health services across the north of the county.

These included concerns about changes that could see consultant-led maternity services removed from Whitehaven’s West Cumberland Hospital.

There were also calls for more information on how the integrated community care being proposed would actually work.

More than 100 people attended the meeting.

The panel was made up of Dr Andrew Brittlebank, medical director of Cumbria NHS Partnership Trust, Helen Ray, chief operating officer at North Cumbria University Hospital Trust, Matt House, consultant paramedic with North West Ambulance Service, and Caroline Rea, director of primary care with the Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group.

Dr Brittlebank did a presentation about the consultation document, which the audience was told was being regularly updated online as the process continued.

Edward Bebbington raised the issue of public transport for patients and visitors.

Jim Hully said: “I have had to get to Carlisle hospital to visit someone on a Sunday. I had to leave Cockermouth at 11am and take a bus to Penrith then the train to Carlisle before crossing the city.

“I then had to come back via Workington and was home for 9pm. It’s absolutely ludicrous and is an impossible situation for a senior citizen.”

A key group is looking into transport and infrastructure, said, Mrs Ray.

GP Martin Harris said: “Aren’t the funding formulas wrong? Because we have two district general hospitals we need more funding.”

Allerdale councillor Joan Ellis said: “Let’s ask Jeremy Hunt for more money because we are a special case. Geographically we are very isolated, we are the second largest county in England and one of the least populated.

“We have a growing older population and one of the largest nuclear plants.

“We need a fully staffed West Cumberland Hospital.

“We do not want people who have nuclear accidents or pregnant women having to go to Carlisle. It’s too far, our laybys will be littered with people in emergency situations.

“We need more money.”

Ellie Loughlin asked how the Cumberland Infirmary would deal with such an influx of women if consultant-led maternity services were moved there and asked whether this was experimental.

Mrs Ray said: “This is not an experiment, we are learning from other communities that have implemented something similar.”

She said a “robust implementation plan” would support changes at the infirmary.