AN INDEPENDENT investigator has upheld several complaints over Cumbria County Council’s handling of the acute services review which led to the closure of Kendal’s heart unit.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron and local councillors David Vatcher and Dr David Earnshaw objected after the authority’s overview and scrutiny committee made the final decision last July to allow cuts to acute services at Westmorland General Hospital.

They claimed the meeting was one-sided, with health bosses allowed to do most of the talking, and said when concerns were raised about the process they were ruled out of order by the chairman of the committee.

Bob Peckford, chairman of a statutory complaints review panel, said there should have been a greater balance at the July meeting between presentations by health bosses and local protest groups.

Mr Peckford also criticised the committee for not considering the need for independent medical advice much earlier during the decision making process, rather than waiting until the implementation stage.

And he said comments and discussion should have taken place by committee members as allowed for in the agenda.

However, a numer of other complaints, including one that suggested the committee chairman was biased, were not upheld.

Mr Farron said: “While this report will not re-open the decision making process, it is a damming report on the lack of scrutiny by the county council into this decision. The council should be representing local people, not taking the side of the establishment. We have all been let down.

“It has become clear over recent months that the cuts in acute services have had a huge impact on the ability of local health trusts to provide the service we expect and deserve.

“Just last week our local health trusts failed their assessment for getting ambulances to 999 calls within target – a problem exacerbated by the distances ambulances are now having to travel.

“The county council should consider this report carefully and not simply put it to one side. They have the power to scrutinise and change services.

“Last week I called a meeting of health bosses that led to an agreement to return some of the emergency ambulances to the Westmorland General.

"The county council should now focus on helping us to make sure that improvements like this happen quickly.”