Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been lavished on artwork at hospitals with crippling debts.

The Government has been forced to reveal the sums spent on art as NHS trusts across Sussex face cuts and job losses to balance the books.

Critics said the money would be better spent on services and equipment which is desperately needed by struggling hospitals.

The money has come through charitable donations and bequests, not NHS budgets, but critics said there were more pressing practical needs which were crying out for funds.

Figures have been slipped out in a Parliamentary written answer and placed in the Commons' library, where they are less likely to be spotted.

Spending on artwork amounts to more than £400,000 in two years for all of the trusts in Sussex.

A spokesman for Unison in Sussex said he could understand why art work was used in hospitals but thought the money could be better spent.

He said: "Personally, I would rather see the money being used for something practical like a piece of equipment or towards directly helping patient care and there are lots of people and support groups who do that already.

"However, sometimes people want to do something a bit different and that is where the artwork comes in."

Eastbourne MP Nigel Waterson said: "I can't say I've ever noticed any great art walking around my local hospital but I suspect a lot of this stuff is gifted to them."

The Argus has obtained a breakdown of the money spent which shows that spiralling debts have not prevented health chiefs shelling out on "arts and art projects" over the past two years.

The biggest expense was at East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust where £107,000 was invested in artwork last year and £70,000 the year before.

This is at a trust which is more than £3 million in the red.

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust was £607,000 over budget at the end of the past financial year but £150,000 was invested in art from charitable sources.

The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust, which runs St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, had £60,000 spent on art last year and £8,000 the year before.

The trust had a debt of £13.8 million and growing at the end of 2004/5.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which had the biggest deficit in the country, standing at £30.6 million, had artwork worth £3,253 installed last year and £7,100 the year before. The figures were submitted by the trusts to the Department of Health.

The Department of Health said that the cash was not taxpayers' money but came from charitable donations.

A spokesman for East Sussex Hospitals, which runs the Eastbourne District General hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards, said: "Money spent on art comes from charitable funds, donations, grants and other external sources. No NHS money has been spent on art."