Campaigners drop fight on DGH plans (From The Argus)
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Campaigners drop fight on DGH plans
5:40pm Tuesday 26th February 2013 in News
A fight to save threatened hospital services in East Sussex is effectively over after campaigners announced they would not be mounting a legal challenge against the plans.
The Save the DGH group had been considering launching a judicial review into the shake-up wanted by managers at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
However the group has decided the risk of failure would be too high and have reluctantly decided not to press ahead.
The changes mean emergency general and orthopaedic surgery will no longer be carried out at Eastbourne District General Hospital. Patients will have to travel to Conquest Hospital in St Leonards instead.
Stroke services will be based at Eastbourne.
Both hospitals currently provide all three services.
Trust bosses say services must be based on one site to keep treatment sustainable and safe.
Campaigners fear lives will be put at risk with critically ill patients facing longer journeys and believe services like maternity and paediatrics will be next.
Campaign chairwoman Liz Walke had been prepared to put her home up as financial security.
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