Crawley Hospital is to be downgraded as part of sweeping changes to health care in Mid Sussex, it emerged today.

The Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust has announced plans to make East Surrey Hospital in Redhill the main critical care and emergency site in the region.

Crawley Hospital, in West Green Drive, will remain a walk-in accident unit and carry out non-complex and day surgery but all acute services will be moved out of Crawley.

The trust admitted the changes would affect hundreds of jobs but said redundancies were unlikely.

The move comes after a ban on the transfer of any more services to Redhill was lifted by Health Secretary Alan Milburn.

But the proposals have been greeted with dismay by members of Crawley Hospital Campaign, who want to keep acute services in the town.

They disputed claims that services already transferred had improved and said any improvements were often to the detriment of others.

Crawley's Labour MP Laura Moffatt said: "Like anybody, I don't want to see these changes happen.

"The trust management and medical profession constantly argue that this is about patient safety and improved services - they have yet to prove that. We will be monitoring these changes closely."

Matthew Kershaw, the trust's director of strategic development, said: "The whole rationale is to improve services to the patient.

"What it will mean is if you were to require a blue light ambulance you would be taken to Redhill or if you required major surgery it would be at Redhill."

Mr Kershaw said studies had revealed that when the changes were made, 80 per cent of people currently treated at Crawley Hospital would still be treated there.

At East Surrey Hospital the intensive care unit, accident and emergency and a fracture clinic will be extended.

The trust has applied for £14.5 million of Government cash to upgrade units at both sites.

At Crawley the women's and children's unit will be enhanced and a new stroke rehabilitation unit will open with the possibility of a chemotherapy unit.