Plans for a £30 million redevelopment at two hospitals have been revealed.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is hoping to apply for extra funding from the Department of Health for the work at Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest in St Leonards.

The alterations also take into account controversial changes to some services which were previously provided at both hospitals.

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Patients needing urgent treatment for strokes are now only seen at Eastbourne and in a few weeks’ time, emergency and high risk general surgery will only be based at the Conquest.

Emergency and high risk orthopaedic surgery cases will also only be carried out at the Conquest at some point next year.

Trust bosses say the changes were necessary to keep the services safe and sustainable.

However campaigners believe lives will be put at risk if patients have to travel further for treatment.

The redevelopment plans have been approved by the board but now need to be agreed by the Trust Development Authority.

Work includes the development of a specialist orthopaedic centre and a redesigned theatre complex at the Conquest and the redesign and development of the accident and emergency department.

Specialist stroke and cardiology facilities will be brought in at Eastbourne and its A&E, medical assessment unit and day surgery services redesigned and developed.

Trust chief executive Darren Grayson said: “The approval of plans for this significant investment is the foundation stone to improving the quality of services in both hospitals.

“The implementation of our clinical strategy offers us an important opportunity to ensure that we are able to deliver sustainable healthcare services for local people in the future.

“It will ensure we are able to respond to national and local requirements to improve patient safety, patient outcomes and service quality as well as meeting performance standards.

“The capital investment, subject to approval by the Trust Development Authority, will enable us to redesign areas of our hospitals and support the required building work to fully develop our estate to meet our future strategic needs and bring services in East Sussex into the modern era.”

A response from the trust development authority is expected in the spring.