More than 100 Eastbourne residents attend emergency meeting to voice DGH restructure worries

The meeting, held by Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman Josh Babarinde last Wednesday (January 10), was called to discuss concerns about paediatrics and maternity services at the hospital.

The DGH’s Midwifery Unit has been closed for births since mid-December, while plans were announced this year to restructure the hospital’s paediatrics department.

Local clinicians are concerned that th is could mean more children and their families will have to go to Hastings for care, according to Mr Babarinde, though hospital bosses insist services are not moving.

The Lib Dem candidate, who was born in the DGH, has called on hospital bosses to halt their plans and to launch a full public consultation. However, the trust have so far declined to do this.

According to Mr Babarinde, residents were concerned that the changes could compromise the quality of and access to care, based on experiences they’ve already had of some services moving to Hastings.

The meeting heard from a mum whose car broke down when driving from Eastbourne to The Conquest while she was trailing her child and disabled husband who were in an ambulance.

Also speaking were families who had spent hundreds of pounds in taxi fares between Eastbourne and The Conquest to ensure their children got care.

There was also a local nurse who felt pushed to breaking point, overstretched working at our hospital trust, Mr Babarinde said.

In light of the public concern, Mr Babarinde has written to the Health Secretary urging her to review the hospital trust’s changes to paediatrics through a new power to ‘call-in’ the decision.

Mr Babarinde added: “I have collated all the moving stories shared at the public meeting I called, and urge the Health Secretary to listen to every word before making her decision to call this in.

"We need her to intervene as soon as possible.”

Eastbourne and Willingdon MP Caroline Ansell has also pledged to discuss the plans with the Health Secretary.

She said: “There are strong local feelings about what is planned that I have listened to carefully and it is my intention to call in the hospital’s paediatric plans for the secretary of state’s consideration at the end of the month.”