However, the Primary Care Trust has confirmed plans to remove the consultant-led maternity service from the PRH, despite significant local opposition, and the concerns of health professionals and the independent Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee. Just last week the committee agreed that it was not convinced by the safety or desirability of removing consultant-led maternity services from the PRH.

Campaigners believe that instead of closing services, health authorities should be working to find ways of keeping the unit open and sustainable in the long term, such as by encouraging more women to use the unit to give birth. Today’s move brings the prospect of significant parts of central Sussex being without a consultant-led maternity unit if the proposed downgrading of Eastbourne hospital is confirmed by the Government.

Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames said: “The retention of accident and emergency services at the PRH represents a real victory to the thousands of local people who have backed the campaign to save services with such enthusiasm. Given the growing population we face in Mid Sussex, proposals to downgrade emergency services were irresponsible and it is pleasing to see that common sense has won”