Hospital workers have been warned to expect job losses because of an £8 million cash crisis.

Administrative and support posts will be most under threat as Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust slashes budgets.

A confidential staff briefing, which has been obtained by The Argus, states: "It is the trust's clear aim to minimise the impact of these savings plans on staff and patients.

"However, as 75 per cent of our costs are on staffing it is possible some posts will be lost if we are to cut down on non-essential spending."

The report said all efforts would be made to find the people affected new jobs within the trust, which runs hospitals in Brighton and Haywards Heath.

The trust has more than 350 vacancies, including 270 front-line nursing jobs, and says it should be possible to offer threatened staff a range of alternatives.

Charles Harrity, of the Brighton and Hove branch of the GMB, said the union would closely monitor any proposed cuts.

He said: "We do not see why staff should be the ones to suffer because of mismanagement at higher levels."

Trust spokesman Ian Keeber said: "The number of people possibly affected will be very small and we will do everything possible to find them another post.

"We need to make savings in areas that do not impact on patient care so it is likely some posts will be put at risk."

The trust's money worries have been mainly caused by spending on expensive agency staff.

It spent £22 million on locum staff last year, contributing to an £8 million overspend. Other pressures include having patients treated privately to meet waiting list targets and a sharp rise in the cost of drugs.

Staff responsible for booking agency nurses have been told to cut back and only use private agencies as a last resort.

Other savings include plans to shut a ward at Brighton General Hospital in Elm Grove and transfer patients to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Eastern Road.

The trust is also considering changing the way some departments and services are run to make them more efficient so patients are in and out of hospital quicker.