Kent and Medway NHS has revealed that discussions over changes to services will be held in the coming months following BBC analysis showing two thirds of hospital services in England could "be cut or scaled back".

Results of a BBC investigation showed challenges facing NHS Kent and Medway mean there will be a funding gap of £486m by 2020-21 if nothing is done.

The report comes after NHS Improvement, the body responsible for overseeing trusts, admitted it had been a “challenging winter” as it released accounts for April to December 2016.

Glenn Douglas, Chief Executive of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and leader of the health and care plans in Kent and Medway, admitted that decisions have not been made but change is needed.

He said: “Across Kent and Medway doctors, nurses and health and social care leaders have set out a vision for better health, wellbeing and higher standards of care for local people over the next 5-10 years, and for achieving more with the staff and funding we have.

“We need to transform our services to better meet the changing needs of local people and to make best use of our resources.

One target recently set out by the trust is to reduce the number of days people spend in hospital beds when they are well enough to be discharged.

Mr Douglas added: “Our initial proposals are very much a work in progress and no decisions have been made about the future.

“We are looking forward to continuing discussions and conversations with staff, patients and the public about how we might transform services across Kent and Medway over the coming months.”