Hospital campaigners lose battle

Crawley Hospital will develop non-emergency facilities

Plans to build a new hospital in Sussex have been scrapped despite a long-running campaign by residents.

The Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authourity, which met on Wednesday afternoon, decided that critical care facilities would be developed at the East Surrey Hospital in Redhill instead.

The news was expected to be a blow to campaigners who have fought for years for a new state-of-the-art hospital at Pease Pottage, near Crawley, in Sussex.

The present hospital in Crawley will be given extra money to develop non-emergency facilities.

People in the Crawley area have pushed for years for a new hospital - and a year ago a review of health services recommended looking into this option.

But the Primary Care Trusts argued that there was no need for a hospital there and the money could be better spent elsewhere.

The health authority's decision is likely to mean more investment in community and GP services at Redhill.