An ambulance 999 control centre could move out of a Sussex town as part of long-term plans to deal with a continuing rise in emergency calls.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust will outline its proposals at a meeting this week. The trust has an emergency operation centre (EOC) in Lewes and two more in Kent and Surrey.

Bosses want to change the system to have two larger dedicated control centres instead, one on the border of Sussex and Surrey and the other in Kent.

The trust said the change would increase its capacity and number of staff, so no job losses were planned. But it would mean 124 workers in Lewes may have to relocate to the far north of the county.

It is not yet known where the centres will be, but the trust said it wants to keep as many staff as possible once the new locations are confirmed.

Acting assistant director of clinical operations Sue Skelton said: “Our EOCs have reached capacity. We are undertaking some remedial work but we do need to find a long-term solution to the problem.

“We have seen 999 calls increase by 25% since 2007 and with demand forecast to increase by 5% year on year, we cannot afford to do nothing.

“The new centres will have the capacity to allow more clinicians to help direct patients to the right healthcare. We would also have better resilience if one of the EOCs was forced out of action.

“The centres would have the capacity to take the additional calls but, equally, the staff to answer them.”

The trust will inform the public, staff and other interested parties about the plans and what it would mean for the community.

Ms Skelton said: “The public should be reassured that these proposed changes will not have an impact on the way we deliver the service.”

The proposals will be discussed during the trust’s annual meeting in Kent on Thursday.