The decision to suspend the controversial transfer of services between East Surrey Hospital and Crawley Hospital will cost £240,000, it emerged today.

A Parliamentary written answer revealed the level of costs faced by Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust for maintaining the services on both sites until January 2002.

Health Minster Gisela Stuart said the bill would initially be £239,000.

If the transfer of services remains on hold after this date, the costs will continue to increase by a further £53,000 a month.

Ms Stuart said: "It is in the best interest of the local population that any further service reconfigurations are suspended until the conclusions of the South East Surrey and North West Sussex service review are known by the end of 2001.

"The review aims to produce recommendations on the long term provision of acute, primary and intermediate care services for the area for 2010 onwards.

"The trust will continue to ensure that patient care is not compromised."

The proposals to cut facilities at the hospital were put on hold by Health Secretary Alan Milburn until the results of the survey of health needs are known.

Maternity services were transferred from Crawley to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill earlier this year.

Other plans had included the transfer of acute, complex and emergency medical and surgical services to Surrey.

Representatives from Crawley Borough Council, Crawley Hospital Campaign, Mid Downs Community Health Council, Crawley Pensioners Action Group and from voluntary organisations met Mr Milburn to ask for the plans to be put on hold.

They say lives will be put at risk by a cut in services and that a town the size of Crawley needs a full casualty service.

Mr Milburn said other plans were in hand to secure the future of Crawley Hospital.

These include modernising the accident and emergency department, extending the day surgery unit and redeveloping the hospital entrance.