Bexhill Hospital 'has nothing to fear over merger'.

That was the message from Hastings and Rother NHS Trust at a special public meeting in Manor Barn last week.

If anything, chief executive Geoff Haynes told the small gathering, Bexhill s community hospital may well benefit from the changes.

Just a handful of people turned out to the meeting on the proposed merger between The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and Eastbourne s district general hospital.

A single new NHS organisation is proposed to provide general hospital services in the county.

This will be formed from the Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust and the general hospital services provided by Hastings and Rother NHS Trusts.

The idea is to pool clinical skills and expertise to plan, deliver sustain and expand health care for local people.

It would combine the two hospitals under a single management and any money saved would be ploughed back into the hospitals.

Mr Haynes was accompanied by Margaret Brett, chairman of the Trust and Marie Parkinson, a member of the community health council.

On their own, said Mr Haynes, neither hospital served a big enough catchment area to keep providing the usual range of services. Over time they may be forced to give up some of these services and ultimately their ability to attract top quality staff. Patients too would have further afield to travel.

Not to change would risk the survival of both hospitals, he added.

Currently the Conquest serves 170,000, has 488 beds, 2,300 staff and a budget of 75m.

The DGH in Eastbourne serves 200,000, has 538 beds, 3,000 staff and 80m to run it.

In order to maintain junior doctors from Royal Colleges the hospitals had to be big enough to provide specialist services for their on-going training. Colleges looked for hospitals with a population base of 500,000.

Together, he said, the new Trust would also have a greater say in its own destiny and greater influence in attracting funding.

Bexhill Hospital, he said, is a community hospital, and will be handed over to the Bexhill and Rother Primary Care Trust in the next year. The NHS Trust will be buying back services.

No service undertaken at the hospital will be compromised, said Mr Haynes.

The Trust will continue to use the hospital and if anything, more outpatient services may be developed.

The audience, which included Rother District Council leader Graham Gubby, was told the only loss of staff in the merger would be one board of directors.

Where the main managerial base would be has yet to be decided.

Following the merger the new Trust would be setting up a review of clinical services, which would be subject to formal consultations.

The meeting was part of a 12-week consultation process around the county which runs until October 12. The proposal will then be made to the Secretary of State and if approved, changes will be implemented in April 2002.