A hospital boss is urging staff to keep spending under control.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is aiming to make a £5m surplus by the end of March and is currently around £500,000 short of that.

Chief executive Matthew Kershaw said the situation was not ideal but it was “not beyond the realms of possibility” to recover the amount over the next few weeks.

The trust runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath among others.

In a message to staff Mr Kershaw said: “I have always been clear we need to deliver on quality and safety, performance and money and that doing them all is what defines a strong and sustainable organisation.

“If we deliver a £5m surplus it will be an immensely important moment for the trust, the local health economy and in reassuring others that we are a sound investment because we can be relied upon to do what we said we would do.

“So with the caveat that we will spend what is necessary to keep the hospital safe, we also need budget holders to examine every pound they are being asked to spend.”