A Sussex MP brandished a copy of The Argus in front of a Government minister and demanded action to improve the county's health services.

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, used a Westminster Hall debate to warn MPs that plans by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust and East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust to shed hundreds of jobs would damage front line services.

Brighton and Sussex has announced it will shed 325 of its 5,000 posts and East Sussex will lost 250 out of 5,000 jobs in an attempt to balance their books.

Mr Baker asked: "How can it be, when the health service has got more money than ever, that we have cuts of this magnitude?"

The MP called for the £10 million "historic debt" of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust to be "wiped off" to prevent further debts mounting up.

He said: "If the trust is expected to deal with the historic debt as well as the accumulated debts, the consequence for patients will be very severe indeed."

The MP criticised moves by East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust to "spread out" services between Eastbourne and Hastings and warned that Eastbourne Downs Primary Care Trust anticipated overspending by £7 million this year.

Mr Baker also called for a new hospital for Seaford to take pressure off Brighton and Eastbourne hospitals.

He said: "There are 25,000 people in that town and all we have in terms of the NHS is a GP centre and a highly underused day hospital.

"What we need in Seaford is a new hospital to deal with minor injuries, and where minor operations can be carried out. It would be a good investment to take pressure off the health service."

Caroline Flint, minister for public health, refused to relieve Sussex's debts or invest in a new hospital for Seaford.

She told MPs: "We do have a situation in a minority of trusts in England where financial deficits have been allowed to accumulate and have now been exposed. The system in the past allowed the situation to carry on and no one was getting hold of these debts.

"There are examples of trusts around the country which are balancing the books and using staff better."