HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn is being asked again to consider the fate of Crawley Hospital.

Health watchdogs last night voted unanimously to refer back their request that he examine plans to move major services such as casualty and maternity more than ten miles to East Surrey Hospital at Redhill.

Mr Milburn's department returned an earlier request from the council for reconsideration to allow time for improvements to the scheme to be drawn up.

The latest decision by the Mid Downs Community Health Council came after a strong attempt to warn them off the move.

Richard Irwin, chairman of West Sussex Health Authority, accompanied by chief executive Peter Catchpole, told the CHC at the meeting in Billingshurst

Village hall that pressure to meet Royal College accreditation for junior doctors' training was one of the key issues.

And he said there was a danger a May, 2001, deadline would not be met and services would be stopped at Crawley.

Mr Irwin warned of more delays being caused by the referall to London and said: "The hospital will fall to pieces because people will not be there."

But his warning was condemned as a "red herring" and an attempt to make the CHC take the burden.

The CHC's request for Mr Milburn to examine the proposal will specifically ask him to make a decision as early as possible to reduce the risk of further delays.

Junior doctor Jonathan Ratoff, from Horsham, who was in the audience, said accreditation of junior doctors was a regular matter at all hospitals and should not have been singled out as an excuse to move services from Crawley Hospital.

He said: "There are still two schools of thought about large centres. It can be a good idea but not at the expense of losing excellent medical and surgical care locally."

The Crawley Hospital Campaign greeted the Health Council's decision after the 75-minute debate with applause.

Treasurer Christine Earnell said: "It was great news. We came confident we could expect this decision. The CHC has listened to the concerns and needs of the people of a large population. And now we would like the Secretary of State to listen to us."

Chairman of Mid Downs Community Health Council Bryan Jones said the members had put a lot of work into

considering the issue and said: "We haven't finished yet and it is going to go on."TURN TO PAGE 5

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