Plans to move a city's breast surgery facilities to a hospital 15 miles away are to be discussed by councillors.

A notice of motion has been put on the agenda for the Brighton and Hove City Council meeting on Thursday.

It recommends the council calls for both inpatient and outpatient breast cancer services to be available in the city.

The motion has been proposed by deputy council leader Sue John and seconded by Councillor Jayne Bennett.

The planned change is part of wider plans to transfer routine surgery, including breast, gynaecology and general surgery cases, from the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

It would mean more than 400 women from the Brighton and Hove area would have to go to Haywards Heath for breast surgery. All appointments before the operation and follow-up treatments would still be at Brighton.

Those against the plans believe women should at least have the choice of either going to Brighton or Haywards Heath for surgery. Councillor John said: "It is disappointing the issue of transferring breast cancer services has arisen again. We believed this had been decided a few years ago and a full service would stay in Brighton and Hove. Now we learn breast surgery could be moved. Most of the women using the service will be from the Brighton and Hove area and they will be the ones most affected."

Under the Government's Patient Choice directive, people should be able to choose in a few years' time where to have a routine operation.

Coun Bennett and fellow campaigner Leonie Petrarca led the previous successful fight to keep a breast cancer unit in Brighton.

They say their argument it was more sensible and beneficial to women to keep surgery and outpatients care in one area still stands. There is also concern many patients and their families would find it difficult to get to the Princess Royal if they did not have a car.

The notice of motion says:

This council strongly supports the retention of a holistic breast care service, including inpatient breast surgery, in Brighton and Hove.

This council believes Haywards Heath is too far for people from Brighton and Hove and nearby areas who are seriously ill with breast cancer to have to travel for treatment. We believe travelling that far would cause patients unnecessary additional stress at a time of great need.

This council is worried that providing breast care treatments on different sites would lead to fragmentation of the service and not provide the best possible care for patients.

This council notes most people likely to have breast surgery at Haywards Heath under the proposal would come from Brighton and Hove and the coastal strip.

This council urges Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust (PCT) to ensure the full range of breast care services, including breast surgery, remains available in Brighton and Hove.

A PCT spokesman said: "When we made the decision to develop a new breast care centre at the Royal Sussex we stated very clearly we anticipated the Princess Royal would be developed as a centre for elective surgery. This received widespread support at the time. This direction of travel was further developed and, following the public consultation, both the PCT and the hospital trust boards have agreed to make the changes. We are prepared to explore the possibility of offering Brighton and Hove patients the choice of having their breast surgery at an alternative local provider.

"But there are three important issues we are considering.

"First, we need to be satisfied that offering a choice to local people would not threaten the viability of the trust's service to a wider catchment population.

"The second issue is ensuring the clinical quality of an alternative provider and how this would fit with a patient's treatment plan.

"Finally we would need to be mindful of cost and affordability to the NHS."