Thousands of people are being urged to back a campaign to save hospital services.

The Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath is one of several at risk of losing vital facilities as part of a review of all hospitals in Sussex.

Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames and Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert will be on the streets of Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and other towns and villages on Saturday asking people to sign a petition.

An online petition is also expected to be up and running in the next ten days.

Mr Soames said he was horrified to learn the Princess Royal might be at risk since it had already been through a consultation a couple of years ago which had led to major emergency cases being transferred to Brighton.

He said: "This is just appalling and I feel we have been misled over the whole thing. Losing some emergency services at the Princess Royal was a bitter pill to swallow but we accepted it.

"We have to ensure there is no change to the rest of the accident and emergency services, no change to our maternity services and the complete retention of the facilities we have that deal with an ever-growing population.

"I am happy with the idea of providing more services in the community but that should not be at the expense of vital other services that are needed in hospitals.

"We need the help of the whole community to pull together and that involves young and old residents, businesses and local organisations."

The petition will be presented to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt when the House of Commons returns in October.

South East Coast Strategic Health Authority is reviewing all hospital services as part of plans to save £100 million.

Vital services such as accident and emergency, maternity and intensive care are under threat at Worthing, St Richard's in Chichester, Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards. Crawley Hospital and Southlands Hospital in Shoreham, which do not have maternity or accident and emergency services, are at risk of being downgraded further.

Tens of thousands of people in the towns affected have already signed petitions and attended mass rallys to make their views known. The SHA says it is not only looking to save money but is also trying to provide more services in the community to ease pressures on hospitals.

A full consultation will be held in October once the proposals have been drawn up.