Women with suspected breast cancer have been waiting longer to see a consultant in East Sussex than almost anywhere else in England and Wales.

Between July and September this year, just under half of women in the East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority area were given a hospital appointment within two weeks of seeing their GP.

The average for health authorities in England was 93.9 per cent.

The Government says every woman referred to hospital should be seen in 14 days. The health authority admits hospitals suffered problems during the summer but staff there have spent the last four months working on improvements.

The three main hospital trusts in the county, Brighton Health Care, Eastbourne Hospitals and Hastings and Rother, are now seeing all women within the two weeks demanded.

Staff sickness and recruitment difficulties during July and August meant only 41.1 per cent of patients referred to the Nigel Porter Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton were seen on time.

The unit is the busiest in Sussex, seeing more than 2,500 women a year, but is small and cramped.

Brighton Health Care Trust wants to transfer the unit to Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, where it says it will become a centre of excellence.

The trust is currently re-investigating the Royal Sussex site to see if another location can be found.

Breast cancer referral times were one of the important targets the trust failed on when it was assessed for the Government's new hospital star grading system and was given a zero rating.

Trust chief executive Stuart Welling immediately ordered a review of the service and brought in new measures, including reorganising clinic times and staff working hours.

He said: "The breast care team has been under considerable pressure during the last year with an increase in referrals and difficulties with recruiting staff.

"In recent weeks the number of women with suspected breast cancer referred urgently to our doctors and seen within 14 days has improved to 100 per cent."

Hospitals in the West Sussex Health Authority area fared better, seeing 98.2 per cent of cases within two weeks.