The chief executives blames the cuts on recruitment problems

Overall surgery carried out by the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust will be cut by a quarter due to a predicted budget deficit of �68.2m.

Routine surgery will still be carried out at the East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, but at a reduced level under new measures introduced on Thursday.

The trust has blamed the cuts on high agency fees and recruitment problems.

'Long time coming'

The trust's chief executive Anthony McKeever said: "In surgery I had 28 vacancies in the theatres that we had to fill.

"There came a point where I had to say if we can't recruit the staff and we can't afford to employ agency people then we can't run the operating lists.

Reports suggest the number of patients affected may be as many as 3,800.

The measures will be in place until at least the end of the financial year and are expected to save the trust �17m.

The Conservative MP for Reigate, Crispin Blunt, said: "I'm afraid this has been a long time coming.

"The chief executive is in the process of firing the contract staff but I wonder where the equivalents are going to come from.

"I don't think this will solve the problem and provide my constituents with the quality of care they deserve," he added.