One of the country's top doctors has given hospital campaigners a major boost by supporting calls to keep accident and emergency services at three hospitals.

President of the General Medical Council (GMC) Sir Graeme Catto indicated his preference to retain the A&E units in a report to West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT).

Sir Graeme is chairman of an independent panel set up to look at alternative proposals put forward during a public consultation on the future of hospital services across West Sussex.

The original proposals drawn up by West Sussex PCT and Brighton and Hove City PCT had put a range of services including A&E and maternity at risk at Worthing Hospital, the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester.

Sir Graeme has drawn up three models which he believes the PCT should investigate further before making a final decision.

The models are a mixture of the original proposals plus further recommendations which emerged during the consultation process.

One of the models suggests that West Sussex should have a major general hospital and two local general hospitals which would both keep their A&E services.

The proposals to retain A&E were developed by the PCT's clinical reference and advisory group (Crag).

In his report, Sir Graeme said: "Having met with the Crag at key points in their deliberations and discussed the modified model with a range of key clinicians, independently and collectively, I recognise that considerable work has been carried out to develop a model of care that would maintain services in the county and respond to the changes required to deliver safe, quality services.

"I recommend that this option should go forward on to the shortlist and endorse that it is potentially the best option for future reconfiguration."

The latest developments have been welcomed by campaigners who have spent the past 18 months fighting to save services.

Tom Wye from the Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospitals (Kwash) campaign said: "It is fantastic news and shows the PCT has been listening.

"It seems Sir Graeme has brought an element of common sense to the whole proceedings.

"However, the fight is not over yet and there is still a long way to go.

These are Sir Graeme's recommendations and the options will still be assessed further.

"We will keep the champagne on ice until we finally hear that the PCT has made a final decision later this year."

The joint health overview and scrutiny committee, set up to oversee the public consultation, has also welcomed Sir Graeme's recommendations. Chairman Peter Griffiths said: "We were pleased to hear that A&E is likely to be retained.

"People need to know how far local clinicians have developed their plans since the proposals were launched last year."

However, Sir Graeme's support of proposals to create a standalone midwife-led maternity unit in West Sussex, which could lead to maternity services being downgraded or even lost at the Princess Royal, has been greeted with dismay.

Jonathan Ash-Edwards from the Support the PRH campaign said: "It is good news that A&E services have been backed and Sir Graeme is recommending the original proposals to turn the Princess Royal into a community hospital be thrown out.

"However, we are deeply concerned about the future of maternity services which are now more uncertain than ever."

The PCT is being asked to endorse Sir Graeme's recommendation at a board meeting on Thursday.

A spokesman said: "This model has been developed by the Crag and will be a recommendation to the PCT board to consider alongside the other models in Sir Graeme Catto's report. It is for the board to decide whether the model will go forward to the final shortlist.

"The decision on whether to agree the model and the appropriate location for the centralisation of services will be for the PCT board to decide."