SUPPORTERS of a community hospital have applauded their MP after he petitioned the prime minister to help protect health services from further cuts.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed addressed Theresa May during her first Prime Minister's Questions yesterday to enlist her support for the borough's health service.

The news comes shortly after Mr Reed's letter to the new prime minister in which he requested that she intervened to oversee the release of funding for phase two of the redevelopment of the West Cumberland Hospital and that she commits to retaining and improving its services.

Mr Reed has fought a long battle to protect health services in his constituency, including the retention of beds at the community hospital in Millom.

He has stated that his community “will never accept, nor forgive the removal of local health services”.

After several invitations to health secretary Jeremy Hunt to visit his constituency and learn more about the borough's health provision, Mr Reed has now turned his attention to the new prime minister and invited her to witness its struggles first hand.

Mr Reed said: “The PM's predecessor left the NHS in a much worse state than he found it. Will the PM now honour his promises to the NHS and to smaller district general hospitals in particular and will she please both visit and intervene to ensure that her government does not continue to cut services from the West Cumberland Hospital in my constituency?”

The prime minister responded by saying that she will look closely at Mr Reed’s invitation to visit Copeland.

Reg Heathcote, chairman of Millom Hospital League of Friends, is grateful for Mr Reed's support.

He said: "We've been doing very well ever since that march to save it two years ago.

"Jamie has fought very hard for it and we welcome all he can do to make sure we have got all the funding we need to keep going."

As a geographically isolated community, it is vital that people in Millom can access all that it needs on its doorstep and Mr Heathcote believes the hospital plays a key role in that.

He said: "The hospital is a centre point of our town.

"We're an isolated community and without the hospital it would be terrible for people to have to travel to Barrow or Whitehaven, especially if they don't have travel options.

"The hospital is now going from strength to strength and with Jamie's help we're doing very, very well.

"I hope he continues to fight for us because the more we can bring into Millom, the better."

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