About 50 businesses have teamed up with the Support the Princess Royal Campaign to offer a 'Savings Book' packed with vouchers on a range of goods and services helpful to new mothers from cut price hair styles to discounts on baby clothes and toys.

Through the 'Savings Book' initiative, the campaign team aims to attract more mothers to use the unit, which has been told by West Sussex Primary Care Trust that it faces closure unless births increase by at least 1,500 per year.

The Healthcare Commission has ranked the Princess Royal Hospital's unit one of the best in the country.

Frankie Gray, who owns an Ardingly-based childcare agency called Harmony At Home, and Gabrielle Hall, who runs Heart and Soul, a shop in Lindfield specialising in gifts for mothers and babies, spearheaded the idea of the book, which the campaign team has been publicising at fairs and fetes in north and east Sussex.

Frankie gave birth to her son Oliver at the hospital nearly two years ago and could not fault the care she received.

Mother Lucy Brunsdon, who had her daughter Erin by caesarean section at the unit on Monday July 14, was the first mother to receive the new book from Frankie, Gabrielle and Tim French, who raised £1,000 for the unit through his 'It's Magic' concerts in Victoria Park, Haywards Heath earlier this month.

Duncan Selbie, who runs the hospital as chief executive of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, is recruiting ten more midwives and a fifth consultant obstetrician for the unit in a clear signal that he would like to see it retained.

Hospital campaigners together with seven MPs from Surrey and Sussex have called for Health Secretary Alan Johnson to decide its future instead of the primary care trust.

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee linked to West Sussex County Council has the power to refer controversial NHS decisions to Mr Johnson who, on the advice of panel of clinical experts, has already overturned a decision to close a maternity unit in rural Oxfordshire.

Full story in the Mid Sussex Times

Add your comments by registering or signing in below