Pressure on a busy maternity unit is to grow as mothers shun long trips to the other side of the county.

Three new birthing suites are being built and scores of new staff are being employed at Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath to prepare for the increase following the downgrade of the maternity unit in Eastbourne.

The two sites, run by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) NHS Trust, had 5,761 births last year and could see up to a 10% increase in mothers needing help.

It comes as Eastbourne downgrades its maternity unit from consultant-led to midwife-led on May 7, forcing women at risk to have to go elsewhere.

Most mothers had been expected to travel to the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards, which is part of the same NHS trust.

Head of midwifery at BSUH Helen O’Dell said 260 extra women were predicted to give birth a year at the two sites following the changes, but she and hospital bosses believe the actual number could be double that.

The changes are currently being funded by BSUH – which has had no extra funding to accommodate the rise and is already trying to make £30 million of savings.

Mrs O’Dell said: “It’s very difficult to predict because women have a choice.

“Some may choose to come here and some will come because they’re a high risk pregnancy.

“Hopefully we will get a bit of warning because the ladies are booked in, but we are already having some women arrive that aren’t booked with us, which is unusual.

“I think they have perhaps pre-empted the changes. I want to provide a safe service for those women if more than predicted come to Brighton or to the Princess Royal.

“Without any changes we can probably accommodate an extra 260. I am expecting it to be double what has been estimated.

“That is the experience of other areas of the country.

“I don’t want women to become pawns. I want us to provide the service, so that if they chose to come here I can accommodate them.

“The last thing I want is for women to want to come here who can’t because we haven’t got room.”

Last year the maternity unit was criticised by the CQC for not having enough midwifes and 15 extra members of staff were employed by the end of March.

Mrs O’Dell added: “We will employ new staff to keep up with the midwife to birth radio.”

In his weekly message to staff, chief executive Matthew Kershaw said there was an “urgent need” for more capacity in the delivery suites.