A CLEARER picture of the future of Furness General Hospital's consultant-led maternity unit has emerged following the publication of a major new report.

An independent review into maternity services across Cumbria and north Lancashire said the preferred option was to have four consultant-led maternity units at Carlisle, Whitehaven, Barrow and Lancaster - with new midwifery-led units at both Carlisle and Lancaster.

But it also added it will require increased investment and active medical recruitment.

If that option proved to be unsustainable, the second option would be to have two consultant-led units at Carlisle and Lancaster - which would lead to the closure of both Whitehaven and Barrow.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) published its 100-page findings after being asked by the NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Lancashire North CCG to look at the future of maternity services across the area.

Dr David Rogers, medical director of NHS Cumbria CCG said: "We know how important maternity services are for the local population and the preferred option is consistent with the CCG’s commissioning intentions.

"However, these services need to be high quality, safe and sustainable and there is much work that needs to be done with both trusts to overcome the significant challenges that they face."

The report follows the release of the Kirkup report which found a lethal mix of failures at FGH led to the unnecessary death of 11 babies and one mother at the hospital.

It says a project team should now be established, including an external senior manager, external obstetrician, head of midwifery and patient representatives.

It added the team need to develop a feasibility report on the cost, viability and risks of proceeding with option one.

Earlier this year a review of health services was revealed by Better Care Together - which was led by both CCG groups alongside University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

It proposed to retain consultant-led maternity services in Barrow and Lancaster as well as keeping the midwife-led service in Kendal.

Dr David Walker, medical director of UHMBT, said: “We are committed to providing a safe and effective maternity service in our hospitals, and we will now discuss the report with colleagues from our two local CCGs and from North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust to fully review and assess the report.

“Better Care Together has already announced its intention to offer consultant-led maternity services at Furness General Hospital and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, with midwife-led services at Westmorland General Hospital - in line with the preferred option.”

Kendal's Helme Chase Maternity Unit is currently operated on an on-call basis between 8pm and 8am during the week and all day at weekends.

The change means mums-to-be are being assessed at home before meeting a midwife at the unit or giving birth at home.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron said: “This is another report created at great cost that doesn’t tackle the main issue for parents in South Lakeland.

"We hoped for a strong steer that a 24 hour maternity unit being reinstated in Kendal, sadly yet again local clinicians have overlooked that which is incredibly disappointing."