TWO detox wards for people struggling to cope with drink and alcohol addiction are to close because of funding cuts.

Promenade Ward at Mill View Hospital in Hove and Dove Ward at Crawley Hospital are expected to shut their doors at the end of March.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both wards, has said it can no longer keep the inpatient service going because it would not be financially viable.

The service, which helps about 250 people a year, has been commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council and a south west London trust.

Sussex Partnership was receiving £2m a year to run the service but has lost more than half of its funding after the south west London trust decided to focus on providing services in London instead.

The loss of the wards without any replacement will leave Sussex with no specialist inpatient beds for drug and alcohol patients.

Unions fear this will mean patients will have to go on to ordinary mental health wards instead, which are already in high demand.

A spokesman for Unison said: “We are incredibly disappointed there is not adequate funding to provide this service.

“Our concern is that this will lead to even more strain on already under-pressure mental health beds.”

A Sussex Partnership spokeswoman said: “We are currently working with all our staff who will be affected by these changes and we will continue to work with local public health commissioners that are responsible for securing these services in the future to ensure a smooth transition.

Brighton and Hove City Council, one of the commissioners of the service, has not confirmed where any new inpatient unit would be located.

A spokesman said: “We are now working with the partnership trust city’s clinical commissioning group to draw up alternatives to meet the needs of these vulnerable people as of April.

“Everyone who is assessed as needing this service will continue to receive it.

“It has yet to be established whether this service will be based in the city or elsewhere.”