FEARS are growing for the future of a hospital maternity service following a leaked email.

Pregnant women across Millom and the surrounding villages travel to the West Cumberland Hospital to give birth - where consultant and midwife-led care is available.

But an email between bosses within the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust shows the withdrawal of all maternity services from the site is an option being considered as part of a review of how provision should be provided across the county.

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It has prompted fresh concerns from campaigners who claim the lives of mothers and babies would be at risk if women were forced to make a 72-mile journey to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle or 24 miles to Furness General Hospital in Barrow.

Rachel Holliday, from the We Need West Cumberland Hospital campaign group, is not convinced.

She said: “Having no maternity at West Cumberland Hospital was never put forward as an option so why on earth is this being discussed now?

“That email undermines everything that was said in the Success Regime’s engagement, yet we are expected to trust these people with the future of our health services.”

Fellow campaigner Siobhan Gearing added: “If they really want consultant-led maternity like they say, why are they not discussing that?”

Health bosses in the county have previously insisted that they want to retain consultant-led maternity in Whitehaven if they can ensure it is both safe and viable.

If not, it was thought any higher risk births would have to go to Carlisle but low risk women could give birth in a downgraded midwife-led unit.

But the email, between staff at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust regarding the business case being drawn up by NHS bosses, talks about the possibility of having no births at all in Whitehaven.

It details options discussed at a so-called maternity summit on June 17, which include full or partial consolidation of births at the Cumberland Infirmary.

The Success Regime – the body leading the controversial shake-up of health services across north and west Cumbria – insists this is not the case, saying it is still considering all possible options at this stage.

A spokesman said: "No decisions about any service changes, including maternity services, have been taken. All options, including consultant-led maternity services, are still under consideration."