Health bosses are to be called before a powerful committee to give a detailed explanation about controversial proposals to change hospital services.

Plans for maternity care at two hospitals represent a "substantial variation" of existing facilities available to the public, according to the East Sussex health overview and scrutiny committee.

If the committee is not happy with how the consultation was organised or the final decision made by the PCTs, it can refer the matter to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt for investigation.

This would only be done as a final resort.

It is now planning to hold a series of sessions where it will call on people from a wide range of organisations to give evidence as it investigates the proposals in depth.

Campaigners have welcomed the move and have urged members of the public to address the board.

East Sussex Downs and Weald and Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trusts (PCT) are in the middle of a public consultation on the plans, called Fit for the Future.

They are calling for a consultant-led maternity service to be based at either Eastbourne District General Hospital or the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards and a midwife-led one at the other.

A special care baby unit and inpatient gynaecology service would be based at the hospital with the full maternity service.

Committee chairman Bob Lacey said: "The role of the committee is to gather and assess all the available evidence and different viewpoints on the proposals before submitting our response to the PCTs.

"In order to get a balanced view, we are holding a series of evidence meetings from May to July and these will be open to members of the public who wish to hear the evidence for themselves."

The first session takes place next Thursday in Eastbourne and will include: * detailed questioning of the PCTs' proposals * a presentation by the campaigners to retain consultant-led services on both sites * input from the ambulance service * an assessment of the future need for maternity care looking at things like population projections The second session on June 7 in Hastings will focus on the detailed clinical evidence, followed by two further evidence gathering sessions later in June and July.

A final meeting, likely to be in September, will then review all the information and a formal response agreed.

The Save the DGH and the Hands Off the Conquest campaigns are battling to protect services at both hospitals and have drawn up their own Option 5 proposals which they want the PCTs to include in the consultation.

Liz Walke, from Save the DGH, said: "This is no surprise. We have been in regular contact with the committee regarding our concerns and welcome their action.

"The committee needs to gather all the evidence and I would urge all members of the public who have been dissatisfied with the PCT or the hospital trust to get in contact.

"The committee does have powers so let's see if it makes a difference."

The scrutiny committee looks at the work of PCT and NHS trusts and can carry out independent reviews of any local health services provided and commissioned through the NHS or councils.

District, borough and county councillors come together through the committee along with representatives from the voluntary sector.

The Eastbourne meeting is at the Winter Gardens from 2pm and the Hastings session will be at the White Rock Theatre at 3pm.

Further sessions are planned for County Hall in Lewes on June 22 and July 25 at 10am.

Will you be attending the meeting? Leave comments about what you will say to the committee below.