Campaigners claim a health review group looks set to recommend a new hospital for Crawley.

Crawley Hospital Campaign spokesman Chris Bird said evidence collected by the South East Surrey and North West Sussex Health Review strongly supported a new hospital for Pease Pottage.

Mr Bird, a review delegate, said: "Crawley and Horsham are the major population centres and this is where the largest population growth will be. Health needs and lack of provision are greatest in Crawley.

"Various options have not yet been ruled out but attention is increasingly focused on an integrated two-hospital plan.

"A new hospital at Pease Pottage would provide all emergency surgery with day case surgery at Redhill. Both hospitals would provide emergency medical care."

He said the plan, if agreed, would lead to the return of maternity services to Crawley with a midwife-led unit at East Surrey Hospital, Redhill.

Maternity services were moved from the town to Redhill in January 2000 amid a storm of protest from residents.

Following a vigorous campaign calling for major hospital services to be retained in the town, Health Secretary Alan Milburn agreed no further services would be removed from Crawley Hospital until the independent review groups made recommendations for the future development of healthcare in the area.

This decision was expected by the end of the year but will now be announced in January.

Jo Silcock, project director for the health review, said it was too early to make predictions about decisions yet.

He said: "Out of six options being considered, three include a new hospital at Pease Pottage."