What a shock I had at the Royal Sussex County Hospital last week as I searched for a short cut through to Sudely Terrace and the entrance to the eye hospital.

There, in a corner formed by the shape of a building stood a distinguished-looking “gentleman”.

My words to the “gentleman” were, “Is there a cut-through anywhere to the eye hospital, mate? It’s like a maze, this place.”

His reply was, “I don’t know you, get lost!” and he walked briskly away.

I was transfixed for a moment but concluded that his attitude rather matched the awkward layout of the hospital in general: long corridors with no seats to rest on so that you can collapse in a heap on the floor with your heart attack, more steps to climb than to reach a seat in the circle of a 1970s cinema and a situation in one part where one is expected to go down in one lift to then have to go up in another one to reach the required department – and that’s if the lifts are all working, which is very rare.

A large part of the facility is on one side of a very busy road while the main enquiry desk on the other side is quite interesting as well if one’s eyes are what needs treatment.

This makes me certain that the Royal Sussex County Hospital will not be asked to have any further input in anything to do with my health in future.

Stewart Gover, Wellington Road, Brighton