Lives could be lost if proposals to cut accident and emergency care at a hospital go ahead, protesters claimed last night.

More than 150 people packed a meeting to ask health chiefs to drop the proposed downgrading of A&E at the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath.

One speaker at the meeting in Burgess Hill said managers would have lost lives on their consciences if they made the wrong decision.

Under the plan, patients needing urgent treatment would face a journey to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton instead of the Princess Royal.

Gill Balsdon, chairman of Burgess Hill Town Council, which hosted the meeting, told the panel of doctors and NHS managers: "We feel that lives are going to be threatened.

"The idea that the nearest accident and emergency unit to us should be closed frightens us. I think we need our voices to be heard and our questions answered."

NHS bosses said a future lack of general surgeons, advice from the Royal Colleges and better treatment by specialists in Brighton could justify the longer journey.

Dr Bill Rawlinson, medical director of Mid Sussex NHS Trust, said patients needing urgent surgery would still receive treatment within the so-called Golden Hour agreed by health experts, which includes time for an ambulance crew to get to the patient.

He said about 70 per cent of all emergency patients would still be seen at the Princess Royal.

But some members of the crowd said sooner or later someone would die because of the longer journey.

GPs are also concerned that the travel issue has not yet been explored fully.

Mike Warburton, chairman of the Mid Sussex Primary Care Group, said: "We don't believe it has been shown conclusively that the advantages of centralising the major trauma centre outweigh the disadvantages."

Retired lawyer Bernard Pearce said: "More people are likely to die if they are taken to Brighton. There is no issue. It is a fact. It will take much longer to get to Brighton."

Town councillor Alan Ranger bluntly told Roger Greene, chief executive of Mid Sussex NHS Trust, and the rest of the panel: "Someone is going to die. It is going to happen and you gentlemen are going to have to live with that on your conscience for the rest of your lives."

Dr Greene admitted the travel issue was an important one and the ambulance service was looking at the implications.

The comments will be considered next month by NHS bosses.

If they decide major changes should be formally proposed there will be public consultation.