A hospital boss who left his trust when it was millions of pounds in the red was given a pay-off of up to £145,000.

Ken Cunningham left his post as chief executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust earlier this year.

The trust, which runs Crawley Hospital, ended the financial year in March more than £30 million in the red, one of the highest debts in the country.

The trust's annual report shows Mr Cunningham was on an annual salary of up to 125,000 and was given the extra payment as compensation for loss of office.

The payout has infuriated campaigners fighting to keep hospital services in Crawley. One, Michael Edwards, said: "It is absolutely appalling. When he left, the trust was in all sorts of problems and its money situation was getting seriously out of control.

"Now it has cut operations and moved services from Crawley Hospital to try and save money. All this is going on and yet he gets a big pay-off.

"It is the taxpayer who is footing the bill. There is something seriously wrong here. I can't believe someone can just go off like that, leave the trust struggling and still get a big payout."

Campaigners blame poor management for the deficit the hospital trust is facing and believe bosses at the trust favour its other main hospital, the East Surrey in Redhill.

The trust has a debt approaching £70 million out of an annual budget of more than £140 million.

Finance bosses believe they will be £38 million over budget by the end of the financial year and this is in addition to a £30 million debt built up from previous years.

Crawley Hospital has experienced major changes including the closure of three operating theatres and a ward.

Routine surgery has moved to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill and other nearby hospitals.

The number of operations is being cut so there will be less demand for costly agency staff, while out patient appointments are being cut by 55,000.

The changes come on top of the loss of several key services from Crawley to Redhill including accident and emergency, maternity and children's inpatient services.

The trust had a zero rating in the Healthcare Commission's annual star ratings for the last two years.

New chief executive Gary Walker was appointed at the end of August and is working with senior managers on a financial recovery plan.

The pay-off has sparked renewed calls for details of the payment made to the former chief executive of East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust.

There is speculation Annette Sergeant was given a package of up to £300,000 from the trust, which runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards.

Mrs Sergeant said she was leaving after three years to "pursue new career opportunities" and has recently been replaced by Kim Hodgson.

Mrs Sergeant joined East Sussex in 2002 when it was formed from the merger of Eastbourne Hospitals and Hastings and Rother NHS trusts.

Her final months were marred by unprecedented bed pressures and multi-million-pound financial problems.

The trust, which gained one star from the Healthcare Commission in its annual performance ratings, is more than £3 million in the red and must save £17 million by the end of March to balance its books.