Expectant mothers will be moved out of their hospital beds to complete the controversial closure of a maternity unit.

Equipment has already been moved from Crawley Hospital to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill in preparation for the transfer.

Patients, including women who are due to give birth, will follow tomorrow by ambulance.

A date is still to be fixed for the transfer of Crawley's casualty department.

The changes are forging ahead despite bitter opposition. Residents made impassioned appeals to the Government to step in and save both facilities.

Tonight protestors will hold a two-hour candlelit vigil outside the hospital starting at 5pm to mark the last evening of the maternity unit.

Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust says most maternity staff have moved to Redhill.

However, it is understood that about eight have left since last August because they did not want to work at the other unit.

The trust says more than 120 midwives and a reserve bank of nurses will provide the maternity services.

Mothers would be cared for in a 48-bed ward and five-bed early labour suite.

One of the facilities will be a special unit for 20 high-dependancy babies and those requiring specialised care.

Before the change, the two hospitals shared 12 spaces and some babies had to be sent to other hospitals.

Despite the move, the Crawley Hospital Campaign is vowing to fight on to save casualty services.

A pensioners' protest will be held outside the hospital tomorrow from noon until 2pm.

And on Thursday there will be a campaign meeting at Furnace Green Community Centre.