Almost 270 hospital operations were cancelled in a six-month period in East Sussex last year, it has emerged.

The figures relate to East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital, St Leonards.

Eastbourne Tory MP Nigel Waterson obtained the figure in a Commons answer from health minister Rosie Winterton.

Mr Waterson said the cancellation of 269 operations between April and September last year was a matter of real concern.

He has called for reassurance from the Government that financial pressures at the trust are not affecting patient care.

Mr Waterson said: "I have heard from a number of constituents who have had their operations cancelled or postponed. Sometimes, of course, this is unavoidable. But it is a matter for real concern 269 operations were cancelled in just six months and these figures are on an upward trend.

"Our local NHS is under enormous pressure from ministers to reduce their financial deficit. I want the Government to address any underlying underfunding and to ensure financial pressures are not allowed to undermine patient care."

The trust said it was starting to cut the number of cancelled operations. From October to December, 79 patients had their operations cancelled, compared to 125 in the previous three-month quarter.

A trust spokesman said: "The pressure on beds within the hospital means unfortunately, from time to time, operations have to be cancelled and we regret the anxiety this causes to patients and relatives.

"We are continuing to work hard to eliminate this problem and we can report during the third quarter, 79 patients had their operations cancelled, compared to 144 and 125, respectively, in the first and second quarters.

"We would normally expect to see a higher figure of cancelled operations over the winter period.

"This significant turnaround can be attributed to the increased efficiency of the Day Surgery Unit where surgical patients are spending less time in hospital and being treated more efficiently."