Health bosses have agreed to strip a hospital of its remaining inpatient beds.

The temporary closure of 12 beds at Littlehampton Hospital has now been made permanent.

Another 15 beds will go as facilities are transferred to Zachary Merton Hospital in Rustington.

Inpatient facilities at Rustington will be expanded to 60 beds from the current 44, shared between the two hospitals.

The Littlehampton Hospital site will be redeveloped into an outpatient centre for health and social services.

The decision is a blow for campaigners who fought to keep the service local.

They say Zachary Merton is difficult to get to and Littlehampton needs a bedded hospital because of its growing population.

Mike Northeast, Arun district and Littlehampton town councillor, said: "I think from a town point of view they have gone through an exercise but really haven't listened to the views of the people of the town.

"They had made their minds up two years ago, saying they wanted to close Littlehampton Hospital.

"They have gone through a sham consultation which has given them the same result as two years ago.

"It's got to be asked who they're representing because they're certainly not representing the health needs of the people of Littlehampton."

Roger Townsend of West Sussex Health Authority told yesterday's meeting: "This is the culmination of over two years' detailed work on the proposals and the longer history of uncertainty about the hospitals."

He said the watchdog Community Health Council, local GPs and hospital chiefs supported the proposals.

The CHC wants services at Littlehampton to include a minor injuries unit, out-of-hours GP cover, X-ray facilities and increased outpatient services for mental health patients.

Littlehampton's 15 beds will close in 2003, once the new service is fully operational.