Hospital officials from the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle say the move will affect the one-stop diagnostic clinic and surgery.

But it is patients who want breast reconstruction surgery at the same time as a mastectomy who will be the worst affected.

Some women may have to wait months to go back into theatre for reconstruction.

Managers from the North Cumbria Acute Hospitals Trust - who also run the West Cumberland Hospital - said it needed a number of supporting staff to run the services effectively.

Currently, the breast cancer surgeon has to concentrate on diagnosing and treating patients with suspected cancer.

The time some of these patients will have to wait has increased.

Hospital officials said it was not a waiting list problem and added they hoped to have the situation resolved quickly.