MUM BACKS CAMPAIGN TO KEEP SERVICES AT DGH

The NHS Trust which pays for treatment at both hospitals is under pressure to cut costs and one option is to close the obstetric unit at the DGH, potentially forcing women in labour to travel more than 20 miles to give birth.

Emma Roberts, 33, from St Anthony's Avenue, is the proud mum of three-week-old Grace, and is now a supporter of the Save the DGH campaign, which is opposed to the downgrading of maternity, paediatric and gynaecology services at the Eastbourne hospital.

In December, before the birth, she travelled with a TV news crew from Eastbourne to Hastings, and despite being a traffic-free afternoon it took 50 minutes to reach the Conquest.

She said, "It took me just a few minutes to get to the DGH and I had a contraction in the car and it was horrendous. It would have been awful to have to travel all the way to Hastings.

"The birth itself was painful but I had an excellent midwife and even though it was very busy I managed to get the last delivery room.

"But going to Hastings would have been a nightmare, not just in terms of the pain of the labour during the journey but also the terrible inconvenience for my family.

"I was in the DGH for more than two days and my husband, mum and sister were there with me for most of that time but were able to go back home for a few hours. They wouldn't have been able to do that in Hastings."

Later this month, East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust is expected to finally unveil concrete proposals for the future of healthcare in the region and a number of public meetings have been scheduled.