Barrow's MP has been criticised after voting against 'protecting' the NHS in post-Brexit trade agreements.

The House of Lords passed an amendment last month which would have blocked any trade deal that 'undermines or restricts' the ability to provide 'a comprehensive publicly funded health service free at the point of delivery'.

The amendment also would have blocked 'the sale of patient data' in any trade deal unless the proceeds were put back into UK health and care services, alongside a string of other restrictions.

MPs including Conservative Simon Fell voted 357 to 266 against the amendment on Tuesday night.

The Government said it was not necessary because the NHS would not be on the table in trade talks.

Mr Fell drew the ire of the Furness Labour Party in claims the MP described as 'deeply bizarre'.

Councillor Iain Mooney, Barrow Borough Council's health lead and a nurse at Furness General Hospital, said: “This is very worrying. I’m angry and disappointed that our local MP voted against protecting the NHS again.

“We have already seen a mass sell off of services over the last 10 years, with up to £60 billion of contracts handed to private companies in just the last three years.

“At a time when our NHS and those working within it, including myself and my colleagues, are facing incredible pressures, this is a huge smack in the face.”

Mr Fell said including the NHS in future trade talks was a 'clear red line'.

"This claim is frankly bizarre," he said.

"The government has said from the outset that protecting the NHS is a fundamental principle of our trade policy.

"It is a clear red line.

"Not one of the 63 agreements which we’ve already negotiated with other countries touches the NHS, including pricing and access.

"And that red line has also been stated in our outline objectives with the US. It might suit the local Labour party to pass around these baseless claims and scaremonger on this issue, but it certainly doesn’t help the NHS workers who they claim to be supporting."