Fighting fund set up for hospital

Princess Royal supporters held a picnic in the park at the weekend

Campaigners hoping to save maternity and A&E services at a West Sussex hospital have started a fighting fund.

Organisers are asking residents and businesses served by the Princess Royal at Haywards Heath to give £1 each.

The fund will be used to prepare a detailed case to respond to West Sussex Primary Care Trust's (PCT) consultation on the future of its three hospitals.

A series of public meetings is under way as part of the consultation, which runs until 14 November.

Three different options are under consideration for the Princess Royal, St Richard's in Chichester and Worthing and Southlands.

Birthing unit

Under the proposals, the Princess Royal stands to be downgraded, with its A&E, acute services and obstetrics departments threatened.

The PCT wants only one hospital in the county to have a full range of A&E, emergency surgery and consultant-led maternity services.

A stand alone midwife-led birthing unit is planned for West Sussex, regardless of which option is given the go-ahead.

The Princess Royal fundraising appeal is backed by the four local MPs who are leading the campaign - Conservatives Nicholas Soames, Nick Herbert and Charles Hendry and Lib Dem Norman Baker.

Organisers plan to engage a professional health economist to argue their case and distribute campaign material to every local household.

They said any funds left over at the end of the campaign would go to Sussex Air Ambulance and St Peter and St James Hospice.