Health officials are monitoring the Sars outbreak in the Far East as almost 60 Filipino nurses prepare to take up hospital posts in Worthing and Shoreham.

The first batch of nurses from the Phillipines is expected to jet into Britain in June to fill gaps in the workforce at Worthing Hospital and Southlands Hospital, Shoreham.

They will join nearly 125 Filipino nurses already employed by the trust which runs the hospitals.

The trust sent a delegation to the Far East earlier this year and, in addition to the nurses, also took on 11 radiographers, several of whom will go to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester.

Sars has caused panic in the Far East and there have been at least two reported deaths in the Phillipines.

Pam Lelliott, spokeswoman for Worthing and Southlands NHS Trust, said: "We are monitoring the situation."