One of East Sussex's two major hospitals would have maternity services downgraded under proposals being drawn up by health bosses.

Details of plans for a long-awaited public consultation on facilities at Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards have now been published.

Four proposals are being developed and each involves having a consultant-led maternity unit at either Eastbourne or St Leonards instead of both.

Specialist baby care and inpatient gynaecology services currently provided at both hospitals will only be provided at the one with the full maternity unit.

Ante-natal and post-natal services will continue at both hospitals.

There are no plans to change accident and emergency or paediatric services at either hospital, although future consultations have not been ruled out. The news about maternity has angered campaigners. They warn women who develop complications would face a difficult 12-mile journey from one hospital to another and say lives could be put at risk.

Eastbourne hospital campaigner Liz Walke is calling for a fifth option, drawn up by the campaign groups, to form part of the official consultation.

She said: "That option needs to be included otherwise this whole thing is a farce.

"The road between the two hospitals is extremely poor and lives are going to be put at risk.

"As soon as a mother starts getting into difficulties then time is of the essence and any delays could lead to a death."

Eastbourne MP Nigel Waterson said: "Health bosses seem to have wholly ignored the campaigns in both Eastbourne and Hastings to retain full consultant-led maternity units in both hospitals. This is not even presented as one of the options for public consultation.

"To my mind, this makes a total nonsense of the whole consultation process and merely serves to confirm the suspicions that a decision was made some time ago to downgrade one of the units.

"At the same time I welcome the indication that at least for the moment there are to be no changes to A&E or paediatrics. This is a signal victory for our campaign."

Nigel Yeo, chief executive of East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Hastings and Rother PCT, said the changes were not driven by the need to save money but to improve services.

The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said units delivering more than 4,000 babies a year should have a full-time consultant as this reduces risks to mothers and babies.

Units below this size face challenges to their viability and ability to deliver a safe service to high-risk babies.

Both Eastbourne and the Conquest deliver fewer than 2,000 and two thirds of those births are unassisted.

Mr Yeo said: "We are committed to keeping two strong and viable hospitals on the two sites in terms of emergency and outpatient care.

"The maternity proposals will give women more choice when it comes to midwife or consultant-led care and ensure a safe and sustainable service is provided.

"The proposals have been assessed against the key criteria of quality, clinical safety, value for money and sustaining two viable hospitals.

"No decisions have been made and a full consultation will be held so all views and comments will be taken into account."

The two PCTs will meet at the Uckfield Civic Centre on Friday at 1pm to discuss the proposals. If they accepted, the 15-week consultation will begin on March 26.