Health Secretary Frank Dobson and his Tory counterpart John Maples discuss hospital cuts (3'10")

But Labour has dismissed the claims - made by Shadow Health Secretary John Maples - as "riddled with inaccuracies".

And it has emerged that one of the hospitals on the Tory list - Rye Hospital in East Sussex - was closed during John Major's premiership seven years ago.

A new hospital was opened by a local charity four years later. Chief Executive of Hastings and Rother NHS Trust, Jeff Haynes, says in no way is it under threat.

The attack began when the Tories published a survey that showed 62 hospitals had been earmarked by the government for possible closure. The party claimed a further 39 faced reductions in services.

John Maples accused the government of undermining the NHS

Mr Maples criticised the government, claiming it was failing to keep its election pledges.

"Labour won the election promising to save the health service. Since then, they have presided over record waiting lists, rising 2,700 per week," said Mr Maples.

"They have cut funding below the 3.1% average increase under the Conservatives, and the result is that they are now planning to make 101 cuts and closures in our health service."

'Tip of iceberg'

Mr Maples said his survey had been "based on people contacting us with the details of local cuts and closures".

"It is not fully comprehensive - we fear this may be just the tip of the iceberg."

He said Labour's "attack" on community hospitals was hurting rural communities the elderly hardest of all.

"This is more than just a let-down for the people that elected this Government believing they would protect services. It's an attack on the very foundations of the health service."

But Labour hit back, claiming the attack was unwarranted and that more was being invested in the biggest new hospital-building programme in the history of the NHS.

Many of the so-called closures were mergers of health trusts designed to reduce bureaucracy, said Health Secretary Frank Dobson. No merger was given the go-ahead by ministers unless it could be demonstrated that £500,000 could be diverted into patient care within two years.