Public meeting against NHS cuts

East Grinstead campaigners are against cuts at Haywards Heath

Campaigners opposing possible cuts to hospital services have attended a public meeting in East Grinstead.

Options are being considered for three West Sussex hospitals, in Worthing, Haywards Heath, and Chichester.

West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) wants one hospital to have a full range of A&E, emergency surgery and consultant-led maternity services.

Protesters want Haywards Heath services to remain, because they say Worthing and Chichester are "too far away".

John Wilderspin, chief executive of the PCT, said: "The reason that we're looking to centralise some specialist services is we can then ensure we have the expertise available for a greater period of the day."

We know there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution John Wilderspin

He said the PCT was proposing to have one major general hospital in West Sussex.

But he added: "We entirely understand that people in East Grinstead may want to go to other places and the ambulance service will take people to the nearest possible large unit if that's what they require.

"People reminded us here that they may want to access services in west Kent or Tunbridge Wells - they may indeed go into Surrey - and they want to know what the proposals are for services in those parts of the world.

"We know there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution."

'Lives in danger'

But town councillor Ginny Waddingham, deputy mayor of East Grinstead, said: "I think this is just a money-saving exercise.

"I think they've got to make cuts. The trouble is these cuts are going to really endanger lives in East Grinstead and that's something we've got to try and prevent.

"The options we're being offered are not good enough.

"It takes us so long to get to Chichester and Worthing. It's not somewhere you would expect to go and have a baby, or be taken in an emergency situation."