Fears continue to grow for the future of accident and emergency departments at Sussex hospitals.

Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority is reviewing health services throughout the county as part of efforts to save millions of pounds.

A document outlining possible options includes downgrading Worthing Hospital, Eastbourne District General Hospital and St Richard's Hospital in Chichester into general hospitals which would mean the loss of their A&E departments.

The authority insists nothing has been decided and the aim is to stimulate debate on the future of the NHS in the county.

It says there will be a full public consultation in the autumn.

However, local MPs are unconvinced and have already called on Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to intervene.

The news comes as Worthing and Southlands Hospitals' NHS Trust unveils plans to save more than £8 million this year and £10 million in the future.

The trust is spending more than £200,000 on a team of consultants from PriceWaterhouseCoopers to get it back on financial track after ending last year more than £10 million in the red.

It cannot say how many jobs will be lost but chief executive Stephen Cass said: "We have identified where savings can be made. The aim is to improve our efficiency in all areas."

Mr Cass said redundancies could not be ruled out but staff would be fully consulted on any changes.

The row over the amount of money being spent on consultants continues to grow. The figure paid out in Sussex is well over £1 million.

The NHS in Sussex ended the last financial year almost £85 million in the red although the real figure is much higher because some previous debts are not taken into account.

West Sussex County Council's health scrutiny committee has sent in a strongly worded submission to a House of Commons Select Committee which is investigating NHS deficits.

Committee members have criticised the current funding formula saying that it does not take account of the county's elderly population which has greater health needs.

The submission said: "There are three turnaround teams working in health trusts serving West Sussex and while the appointment of these teams was approved by central Government, and while their costs will in the long term be covered by the resulting savings in expenditure, it will have no impact on the underlying deficit.

"The government must take ownership and responsibility for the plight of these organisations.

These turnaround costs should be borne by central Government. Asking for such costs to be met locally will simply delay the benefit of the turnaround and further demoralise NHS staff."

Committee chairwoman Anne-Marie Morris said: "We have put in a detailed submission and hope that it will lead to action for services that are of vital importance to every man, woman and child in our county.

"We would like the government to clear all the health trusts' accumulated and historic debts, as well as paying the costs of the turnaround teams.

"This would wipe the slate clean and give our NHS trusts an opportunity to move forward for the benefit of the whole community."