Brighton maternity options?

[harlot]

We're considering an imminent move from London to Brighton, but I'm due in March and very concerned about the staffing shortages I'm reading about at the Royal Sussex County Hosp.
Hoping for a natural birth (baby #3) but terrified of being shoved, in labour, on a public ward and left un-monitored for hours at a time. That way trouble lies...
Does anyone have any experience of this hospital recently, and of other Sussex-based options? Are the anecdotal horror stories real cause for concern, or the statistical outcome of delivering 3,000 babies a year?
In terms of alternatives, would consider private midwife and/or homebirth (understand from press that RSCH can't guarantee m/w to cover homebirth).
Phew! That's a bit of question, isn't it?!

I had dd1 at Royal Sussex 3.5 years ago; so not that recent, but I had absolutely no complaints. I was lucky as I think the unit was full after me; I later met a mum who'd given birth the same night but had to go to Worthing.
At the risk of starting up recent threads again(!) I wouldn't consider a private birth or midwife or home birth or midwife-led unit as I think the baby deserves high tech NHS support if needed for the most potentially dangerous few hours of her life (until the last few, obviously!). Antenatal care was absolutely fine, but if I had felt the need for continuity of midwife care I would have been diappointed (my practice midwife was on maternity leave! I never saw the same midwife twice, but this didn't bother me. However I used to be a GP, so that may have been why).
The labout ward was absolutely fine; I felt a definite sway towards the natural way of doing things, and they had a water pool etc. Lots of primal screaming going on the nights I was there; I ended up being induced 72 hours after my waters broke due to lack of progress, so I opted for an epidural, which was expertly administered and absolute bliss!

I hear ya on the emergency facilities. I need to think more about it - I'm used to being in inner london where you're normally within easy access to 3 major hospitals if anything goes wrong. But take yourself out of london...oh, I don't know.

tks for comments on the royal sussex. as ever, its a bleedin' lottery on how busy they are, I guess. unfortunately I'm one of those people who attracts queues wherever I go! supermarket empty? I arrive...packed! life ruled by sod's law, ha, ha!

Enjoy Brighton; a WONDERFUL place to bring up kids. We moved away, boo hoo, dh has promised to take me back when we retire. I have a Victorian villa in Hove in my mind (along with half of the country of course...)

I had DS there three weeks ago and am really happy with how the birth went. It was all very straight forward, so we were not there for long (arrived 8.30pm, DS arrived 11.10pm, home by 5pm the next day) but the midwives I saw were fantastic and I have no complaints. Where I noticed the staff shortages was in the post natal care as some of my home visits were cancelled after the birth.

BTW you can still hear a lot of the primal screaming going on...

Also, there is a birthing centre in Crowborough but it is quite a drive from Brighton. Ideally they are also supposed to be supportive of homebirth here as well, but I think there has been problems in resourcing them recently, so women have ended up having to go to hospital.

Congratulations on the new babe and thanks for the info. Love the idea of the birthing centre, but contractions in the car are a nightmare, aren't they!
Reassured by presence of primal screaming (as long as they weren't stuck in a corridor! I jest).
still interested in further exploring private midwife option for additional support or homebirth, if anyone has any experience / recommendations?