The trust runs hospitals in Crawley and Redhill

The Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has a debt of �40.9m and is currently losing �2m a month.

The pressure group Health Emergency said the fees paid to consultants from KPMG were scandalous.

But the trust said the turnaround measures had reduced waiting times and also cut its monthly overspend.

It was one of 18 debt-ridden NHS trusts to be singled out by the Government in January for financial support.

Balance books

Geoff Martin, head of campaigns at Health Emergency, said: "It's a scandal that big firms of accountants are being paid fat fees to recommend trusts to sack front-line nurses."

Mr Martin said �700,000 would pay for 40 newly-qualified nurses.

The Department of Health said turnaround teams would provide "a bank of expertise within the NHS".

"The result will be that by April 2007 the NHS will once again balance its books, and be equipped to face any financial challenge in the future."

Future savings

Gary Walker, chief executive of the Surrey and Sussex trust, said the turnaround team had helped to reduce patient waiting times to their lowest-ever level.

Cancer treatment waiting times were "among the best in the country", he added, while those for accident and emergency and routine outpatient appointments had also improved.

Mr Walker said additional future savings of �20.9m had been identified.

He confirmed on Thursday: "The cost of external professional expertise from accountancy firm KPMG, up to and including 31 March, is �697,896."