Campaigners fighting to save health services have welcomed moves to merge two hospital trusts.

The boards of Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust and the Royal West Sussex NHS Trust are meeting today to consider the idea.

If they agree in principle to the possibility of a merger, the idea will be explored in more detail and a further meeting held in December.

Both trusts are at the centre of the controversial Fit for the Future plans to reorganise health services in West Sussex.

If the plans, developed by West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT), go ahead it could lead to Worthing becoming the major hospital for the county while St Richard’s in Chichester, which is run by the Royal West Sussex, could lose vital A&E, maternity and children’s services.

The plans are being assessed by the Department of Health after being referred to the Government for an independent review.

A merger could strengthen both hospitals and possibly secure full services at both of them.

Worthing Hospital supporter Tom Wye said: “I think this is the only way forward to protect hospitals in West Sussex.

“If a merger goes ahead, the new hospital trust could apply for foundation status and then they would have greater freedom and be masters of their own destiny.

“If we don’t do this now, in a few years we could be experiencing the same thing all over again and find both trusts under threat from Brighton and Portsmouth.”

Abigail Rowe, from the Support St Richard’s Campaign, said: “We still need to keep up the fight to have the Fit for the Future plans thrown out.

“If we can be reassured that any merger would mean the protection of services at both hospitals then we would welcome it but we need to see what happens.”

In a joint statement, the hospital trusts said: “Clinical staff have been looking at ways of working more closely together following the outcome of the Fit for the Future review.

“During October and November, board members will consider whether merging to a single, strong acute NHS trust would be the best way to secure sustainable health care for the people of West Sussex.

“The merger may also provide an improved opportunity to achieve foundation trust status, which would give the new organisation more autonomy and make it accountable to local people.”