St Catherine’s Hospice has announced service changes after cutting dozens of jobs in what it said had been a “tough and heartbreaking few months”.

The service which operates in West Sussex and Surrey, announced in September it needed to save £1.5m and cut 40 jobs in order to secure its future.

The changes would include new hours for its telephone advice line, new ward admission hours and a more targeted approach to referrals.

The hospice charity said it had changed its referral criteria to focus on patients with more complex care needs.

Other patients will remain under the care of their GP, with the hospice team providing expert advice to them when needed.