Patients sent abroad for treatment are recovering well from their operations.

The patients are expected to stay in hospital for a further two weeks before returning home to West Sussex.

Mary Lumb, Joyce Hewitt and Joyce Marples have had knee-joint replacements at Lutherhaus Hospital in Essen, Germany.

They are the first of about 30 patients from the UK who will be treated in Germany by the end of March.

West Sussex is taking part in one of three controversial pilot schemes aimed at cutting waiting lists for non-emergency operations such as hip replacements and cataract removals.

A project spokesman said all three women were doing well and were happy with the service they had been getting at the hospital.

Another three patients are due to fly out from Heathrow to Eduardus Hospital in Cologne tomorrow for knee operations.