Bishop to lead march against hospital cuts

More than 160 GPs have signed a petition against threatened cuts in A&E and maternity services at the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath.

This week the Bishop of Lewes, the Right Reverend Wallace Benn, agreed to lead a march in Uckfield to protest against the proposed cuts, and residents turned out in force at public meetings in Lewes and Uckfield.

The NHS Trust which pays for treatment at the Princess Royal looks set to reduce A&E and maternity care at the hospital, forcing Uckfield and Lewes residents to travel to Brighton or Kent.

East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust has also come under fire for plans to close a ward at Uckfield Community Hospital.

The decision was scrapped only when GPs made the remarkable decision to work on the ward for free.

On October 6 Bishop Benn will join a rally in Uckfield to show support for both threatened hospitals.

Wealden MP Charles Hendry said: 'No-one highlights more that he does that this is a community event and that these are issues which unite us all.

'The bishop is well known for his support for our health service and it is wonderful that he will be there.'

Last week the Primary Care Trust held a public meeting at Uckfield Civic Centre and yesterday (Thursday) a similar public meeting was due to take place at Lewes Town Hall.

Dr Herry Ashby, who practices at Newick Health Centre, said: 'Last week I attended another of the series of PCT public meetings in Uckfield Civic Centre, along with several hundred local residents.

'MP Charles Hendry and I both put the case very strongly and forcefully for the preservation of all existing services at Princess Royal, including a 24-hour A&E deptartment, a consultant-led maternity and an acute medical assessment unit with in-patient medical admissions.'

Dr Ashby has organised a petition against the downgrading of the Princess Royal and has collected 160 GP signatures covering more than 260,000 patients.

Lewes district councillor Sharon Davy has called for the council to throw its weight behind the campaign to protect the services at the hospital.

She has put forward a motion for the district council to contribute 1,000 to the Save the Princess Royal Campaign and the issue will be discussed at a council meeting on September 26.