A private company is being brought in to run a number of GP surgeries in the city.

ChilversMcCrea Healthcare is in negotiations with Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust to manage at least three surgeries in the city.

The surgeries will still run as NHS practices and patients will not be affected by the changes.

The company's aim is to make the surgeries more attractive to encourage GPs to the area.

The PCT has struggled to find GPs willing to work in the city, particularly in smaller surgeries.

This is partly because of the condition of some surgery buildings, which are often converted offices or shops.

Many new doctors are more interested in joining larger surgeries, which are housed in modern buildings, offering patients more services.

A PCT spokesman said: "We are still at the discussion stage and there is still a lot of work to be done.

"We are not in the position to directly manage GP practices but this company has a proven track record in this particular area.

"This will not affect patients as it is a background management change and they will still continue to get access to a GP as normal."

Surgeries affected include the ones at Whitehawk and Morley Street, which runs a GP service for the homeless.

Both practices are currently run by South Downs Health and once the ChilversMcCrea contract is finalised, work will start on the handover.

If the change is a success, the PCT is expected to use the company for other surgeries in the city where it has struggled to find GPs to run them.

ChilversMcCrea, based in Hertfordshire, operates 12 practices across the South East of England.