Three NHS patients from West Sussex are to be treated in Germany as the Government's pilot overseas operations scheme continues.

The patients, who have not been named, will fly to the Lutherhaus private clinic in Essen tomorrow for knee replacements.

The three are believed to be from the Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill area.

They are the first of 30 patients from all over West Sussex due to be treated by the end of March at either the Lutherhaus or at the Eduardus hospital in Cologne.

The patients will spend 12-13 days in the acute hospital.

They will then spend a further seven or eight days in rehabilitation in the hospital's guest house because of the risk of thrombosis if they fly too soon after the operation.

The patients are all taking part in a pilot project which has been described by the Tories as a "national disgrace."

West Sussex is currently one of four test beds for the scheme - the others are East Kent, East Surrey and Portsmouth.

It is designed to cut waiting times for operations such as hip replacements and cataract surgery.

Two weeks ago nine patients from the Surrey area underwent operations at a private clinic in France.

In a Commons debate Tim Loughton, Tory MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, attacked the scheme and said those taking part were "NHS escapees".

Health Secretary Alan Milburn denied it was a "national humiliation", as Mr Loughton branded it, to get NHS patients treated more quickly.