Campaigners held a top-level meeting with a Sussex MP to discuss the fate of a hospital's casualty services.

Anne Jones, leader of the Health Users' Group, travelled to Westminster to meet Arundel and South Downs Tory MP Howard Flight over the Princess Royal Hospital at Haywards Heath.

Mr Flight - part of whose constituency is covered by the Princess Royal - voiced his concerns about possible transfers of patients to Brighton.

Mrs Jones's group has collected thousands of signatures calling on health chiefs to abandon a suggestion to sending seriously ill or injured patients to Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Mrs Jones, from Burgess Hill, said: "Mr Flight was very supportive and progress has been made.

"He is going to arrange another meeting to discuss the issue and put pressure on health bosses."

Recently, Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames criticised the suggested changes at a public meeting in Haywards Heath.

The Health Users' Group is also demanding NHS executives' performance be considered before their outstanding contracts are settled.

Mrs Jones said there had been public anger over the payout of more than £300,000 to Peter Catchpole, outgoing chief executive of West Sussex Health Authority.

Mrs Jones, who is also a Mid Sussex district councillor, said: "I don't like being hostile towards people, but something should be done."