A city MP says cuts at a hospital trust will inevitably lead to a reduction in standards of patient care.

Des Turner, who represents Brighton Kemptown, is writing to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to ensure she is aware of plans being made by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The trust, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath among others, is planning to shed about 500 jobs and close 109 beds as part of plans to save £15 million this year.

It is also putting a freeze on using expensive agency staff to cover sickness and absence and is putting tougher controls on its drugs budgets.

The trust had originally been told to save £12 million but the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority has increased this amount by another £3 million.

The trust ended the last financial year £11.3 million in the red and a team of specialists was sent in to get it back on track.

Mr Turner said: "These massive cuts will have a devastating impact on standards of patient care and raise serious questions about the ability of the trust to respond adequately to the health needs of my constituents.

"At least 98 per cent of the trusts beds are normally occupied. Cutting 109 of them therefore represents a catastrophic reduction.

"I want to be absolutely sure that Patricia Hewitt and others with responsibility for the future health of our country are faced with the unacceptable consequences of this latest round of cuts."

Ms Hewitt refused to ease the financial crisis facing the NHS when she visited the Royal Sussex earlier this month and insisted there were no plans to wipe the slate clean for debt-ridden hospital trusts.