A controversial decision to downgrade a hospital maternity unit has improved the safety of the service, according to a report.

The consultant-led department at Eastbourne District General Hospital was changed to a midwife-led one inMay.

Consultant services, plus children’s in-patient services, are now based at the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said the temporary changes were needed to ensure patient safety as it was struggling to fill the posts needed to run consultant units at both hospitals.

MORE:

However, protesters say lives will be put at risk if women who suffer complications during labour or who have an atrisk pregnancy are forced to travel further for treatment.

But a three-month review into the changes carried out for the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) says there have been improvements to a number of key safety factors in maternity.

Most significantly, there has been a sharp decline in serious safety incidents – those which could potentially lead to death or serious harmto patients – since the changes were brought in.

There have been two reported incidents since the changeover at the start of May compared to 13 in the seven months previously.

Eastbourne Hailsham and Seaford CCG chairman Martin Writer said: “These are early days and we must treat the data with caution, but it does indicate that that the single-siting of consultant- led maternity services is succeeding in controlling some concerning safety trends.”

CCGs are working with communities and interest groups to help determine the long-term future of maternity services in East Sussex.

Since May there has been increased consultant presence and more time for training and supervision.

The report says there was a notable reduction in caesarean sections compared to previous years and there has been no increase in babies being born before arrival at the intended the place of birth or without the assistance of a midwife.