Two major hospital trusts are to merge, it was confirmed today.

Brighton Health Care and Mid Sussex NHS trusts will join to create the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Brighton chief executive Stuart Welling is expected to take over as boss of the new organisation from Monday.

Chairman Michael Whiting is also due to become its chairman.

Today's announcement means it is almost certain Mr Welling will not be sacked, after months of speculation, although official confirmation is not expected until next week.

He had to satisfy Government ministers he had managed to improve the performance of his hospitals.

When the star rating system was published in September, the trust was given no stars because it failed in three crucial areas.

These were the number of women referred urgently for breast cancer screening seen within two weeks, the length of time patients waited on trolleys in A&E after the decision was made to admit them to hospital and the cutting of outpatient waiting lists.

There has been significant improvement in all three areas but if Mr Welling stays in post he will have to prove he is capable of taking over a hospital trust with problems of its own.

Mid Sussex has significant financial and waiting list difficulties which will need immediate attention.

The new trust will manage the acute hospital services provided from the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton; the Princess Royal Hospital and Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre, Haywards Heath; the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children in Brighton; and parts of Brighton General Hospital.

It will cover a population of 460,000 across Brighton and Hove, the Ouse valley and central Sussex.

Teri Hawksworth, chairman of West Sussex Health Authority, said: "The decision lays the ground for a positive future for services in Brighton and Haywards Heath and the future of healthcare for the patients we serve."

Mr Welling said: "I am delighted with today's announcement."