Shocking - maternity unit may close

Long-awaited proposals for hospital services have been blasted as 'outrageous' by campaigners fighting to stop any downgrading.

The Hands Off The Conquest campaign accused health bosses of 'not listening'.

Margaret Williams, chairman, said: "It is absolutely outrageous that they (bosses) should even contemplate either the Conquest or Eastbourne DGH not having a maternity unit. This is ridiculous.

"We knew what was coming. They are just not listening.

"Around 75,000 people in Hastings and its surroundings have signed petitions against downgrading of maternity services. This is like trying to stop a runaway train.

"Nick Yeo (chief executive of Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trust (PCT)) agreed the roads were not good between Hastings and Eastbourne. We must keep emergency core services at both hospitals."

NHS chiefs unveiled their proposals at a press conference on Monday. One option is to have a consultant-led maternity unit at either the Conquest Hospital or Eastbourne's DGH with no maternity unit of any kind at the other site.

Another would be to have a similar maternity department at one or the other hospital with a midwife-led birthing centre at the other.

In either scenario, the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) could go to just one hospital. Ante and post-natal care would remain at both hospitals as would the midwife-led birthing centre in Crowborough.

There are no plans to change accident and emergency (A&E) or paediatric services at either the Conquest or DGH.

Mrs Williams' Eastbourne counterpart Liz Walke, of the Save the DGH campaign, branded the whole consultation process a 'farce'.

She said lives will be put at risk if either hospital loses maternity.

Both campaign groups are calling for a new option, to keep full maternity services at both sites, to form part of the official consultation.

Hastings MP Michael Foster said it would be 'unacceptable' if the Conquest lost its SCBU or maternity unit, making it hard for parents living in places like Camber and Iden to travel more than 20 miles to Eastbourne. But he said it was a 'victory for commonsense' on the part of campaigners, himself and the Observer after NHS chiefs announced A&E would remain untouched.

Mr Yeo said changes to maternity were about improving services and not driven by the need to save money.

"We are committed to keeping two strong and viable hospitals in terms of emergency and outpatient care. The maternity proposals will give women more choice."

Both the Conquest and the DGH deliver less than 2,000 babies a year. The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said units delivering more than 4,000 babies should have a full-time consultant-led maternity unit.

Health chiefs meet today (Friday) in Uckfield to discuss the proposals. If they are accepted the 15-week consultation will begin on March 26.