Proposals to build a new hospital in West Cumbria are among plans being investigated by Cumbria County Council's Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee.
Residents of Allerdale, Carlisle, Copeland and Eden are being invited by the Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee to have their say on wide-ranging plans by the NHS in North Cumbria to change the way acute hospital services are provided.
The proposals could particularly affect The Cumberland Infirmary at Carlisle and The West Cumberland Hospital at Whitehaven.
The key NHS proposals are:
That there should be two acute hospitals - The Cumberland Infirmary and a new hospital in West Cumbria.
Both should have A & E departments and intensive therapy units.
A new diagnostic and treatment centre should be developed for planned operations.
There should be increased use of community services across North Cumbria to deliver more health care outside of the acute hospitals.
Peter Farmer, chairman of the county council's Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee, said: "The NHS's proposals are very important for the future of acute hospital care in the future - potentially they effect everyone in the area.
"We need to find out what people think about these plans so we can fulfil our scrutiny function and advise the trust on what people think of the plans which could affect them."
Anyone wishing to get in touch with the Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee can do so by writing to the Scrutiny Unit, Cumbria County Council, The Courts, Carlisle, or through the county council's website www.cumbria.gov.uk
There are also leaflets on the consultation available at public libraries and doctors surgeries.
Details of the NHS proposals for North Cumbria are available at www.northcumbriahealth.nhs.uk/pct or by calling the NHS on 0800-3288-827.