A campaign to keep breast care services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, has been aired in Parliament.

MP Tim Loughton made a Commons plea to health minister Yvette Cooper, saying the public was overwhelmingly opposed to plans to establish a single service at the Princess Royal Hospital, in Haywards Heath.

He told her of the petition in The Argus, which attracted 30,000 signatures in just 11 days, and said every member of Brighton and Hove Council opposed the move. The East Worthing and Shoreham Tory MP warned his constituents would be faced with long journeys to Haywards Heath.

He said this could lead increased numbers of women missing vital appointments rather than taking on the difficult journey.

Mr Loughton said: "The journey by public transport from Brighton to Haywards Heath and back to Brighton would take approximately four hours.

"The journey will be even more difficult for people who are elderly, disabled or infirm.

"Even if the breast care service should be relocated to Haywards Heath, the pathology service, chemotherapy and radiotherapy would be available only in Brighton and separating services could lead to a lack of continuity in care.

"Two-thirds of patients who attend breast care facilities at the Royal Sussex County hospital come from the Brighton and Hove area where, on average, 2,700 patients a year attend 7,700 appointments.

"We need to take such considerations into account, instead of adopting the approach that big is good'."

Ms Cooper told the Commons she was unable to comment at present. She explained: "I understand the recommendation for the central Sussex partnership programme has yet to be considered in full by the new health authority."