A hospital is considering closing a ward at night and at weekends to save money.

Managers at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton this week launched an internal consultation on changing the opening hours of Pickford Ward.

The shake-up would turn Pickford into a day care ward with overnight and weekend patients treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital instead.

Hospital managers defended the plans, saying 95% of patients on the ward are treated as day case patients anyway.

The Sussex Eye Hospital, based opposite the Royal Sussex in Eastern Road, is run by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The trust runs the Royal Sussex and Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital as well as the Princess Royal Hospital and Hurstwood Park neurosciences centre in Haywards Heath.

Trust bosses are aiming to make £50 million savings over the next two years and is constantly looking for ways to cut back on spending.

A trust spokeswoman said the 14-bed ward normally had only between two and five patients on it overnight and sometimes just one at weekends.

She said: “When the ward is open, we have to still make sure it is fully staffed and run properly, even if it is not necessary.

“This is only at a discussion stage but we are looking at the option of placing eye patients on a ward on the main Royal Sussex site at these times.

“They would still be cared for by the same specialist eye nurses and doctors who work at the eye hospital.

“They will just be at a different location.”