For the second time since entering Parliament I was granted the opportunity, on the 24th July, of holding an adjournment debate on the future of health services in West Cumbria. The first was in December 2005.

Almost two years later, there has been some meaningful progress in the provision of health services in our area and the Government continue to provide record levels of investment, but there is more to do.

I applied for the adjournment debate because in September, when Parliament is in recess, the long awaited consultation on the reconfiguration of health services in West Cumbria will begin; this consultation has been called the "Grand Plan" and it is essential that on behalf of all of us that not only use our local health service but also work within it that our expectations for our future care were set out and listened to by the Government.

Ever since I can remember we in West Cumbria have had to fend off one threat or another to the services provided by our hospital. For more than twenty years there have been constant reports of threats to the services provided at West Cumberland Hospital.

I want an end to the threats, I want us to be free of uncertainty and free of fear, and that is what I expect the forthcoming consultation to provide.

We in West Cumbria are a unique area that provides unique health policy challenges; we are a very widely dispersed community with pockets of population that are separated by considerable distances, and as we know we do not have the best public transport system. There are no off-the-shelf solutions to our unique health service needs here in West Cumbria, but what we do have is the understanding and the expertise, amongst both the service users, you and me, and those that provide those essential services, to inform the consultation and to help produce and implement those solutions. I believe that there will be a change in the way that care is provided, but it must be a change for the better.

We in West Cumbria have never been afraid of change or innovation, and have often been pioneers in various fields: deep coal mining and the Nuclear Industry are two prime examples. We must now help to formulate the changes that we want to see to ensure that we continue to receive the highest possible standards of health care that will be provided for us and our children.

In responding to my speech the new Health Minister, Ann Keen, gave me and the House an assurance that the consultation would be open, honest and transparent, and that any decisions taken will be taken locally and will reflect local needs and based on appropriate clinical evidence. She said, "There is no other way for us to go forward with the health service. We should involve everybody."

The most important point that I want all that are reading this to grasp is that the future of our health service is in our hands. We all must take an active part in participating in the consultation when it begins in September.
The people of West Cumbria have been magnificent in their support for our hospital, through public marches, petitions and campaigning. We now have the opportunity to ensure we get the service that we need and demand.