Management and back office jobs could be cut if two Kent hospital trusts merge.

A plan now being considered means the hospital trusts that run Darent Valley and Medway Maritime hospitals could be joined together.

It is the first time any of Kent’s hospitals have considered merging.

Susan Acott, chief executive of Darent Valley, said a 1.5 per cent cut in payments hospitals get for treating patients is behind the move.

She added: “This is financially driven. We are at the early stages of looking at this and if the trusts do merge the new organisation would have one board, instead of two, so that is an obvious place to make savings.

“I would envisage there might be some back office functions that could be rationalised, such as transport and IT.

"While roles may have to go, we would try and protect people as much as possible.”

She pledged major hospital services would not be lost from both ends of an enlarged patch, and predicted both hospitals would continue to offer full A&E, maternity, paediatric and outpatient services.

Consultation has now begun and approval for the plan could be given by April 2012.

Dr David Lawrence, of Lowfield Medical Centre in Dartford said: “The trusts already share some services including urology and ear, nose and throat departments.

“If services stay the same, I doubt anyone will notice but if people from Dartford suddenly have to go to Medway, which is not the easiest journey, I think there would be an outcry.”