A service for elderly and vulnerable people has been stopped.

The Health Adviser for Older People team helped hundreds of patients across Brighton and Hove by offering support and advice.

Now the group of seven advisers has been disbanded and their services provided elsewhere.

One member of staff from South Downs Health NHS Trust, which is responsible for managing the service, said the changes meant residents were losing the personal touch.

She said: "The health advisers would arrange for people to be visited at their homes and receive advice and support. Now they have to phone an advice line.

"It is just not the same and a real pity. The services may still be available in other ways but I think it was better when people were seen individually and relationships built up properly.

"The advisers would build up caseloads and get to know the families and individuals involved. This just seems more formal."

A spokeswoman for South Downs Health said the decision to disband the service was not to save money but to bring the trust's services for elderly patients in line with national policy.

She said: "The job title has gone but the work is still being done although provided in different ways.

"We have not abandoned patients and left them to get on with things. They still get the support and help they need."

Some of the work is now being done by the trust's new team of community matrons.

The matrons work with GPs to provide extra care for elderly patients who regularly call on the NHS for support.

They will deal with people who have long-term conditions such as chronic lung or heart disease, have been frequent visitors to accident and emergency or have been admitted to hospital unexpectedly.

The idea is to give them the help they need to avoid going back into hospital.

The trust has also set up an advice line run by a nurse five days a week which gives extra support and help.

A service giving help to people with incontinence problems, which took up a large part of the adviser's work, has also been recently expanded.

The spokeswoman said: "We want to make it clear nothing has been taken away. There have been changes but those people who need help are still getting it."