Treat hospital with care

Yet another shake-up is planned in Sussex hospital services affecting thousands of people in Brighton, Hove and Mid Sussex. It means moving most of Brighton's services to one site and sharing some others with the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

There's logic in getting rid of outdated buildings like Brighton General Hospital and putting services on the modern Royal Sussex County Hospital site in Eastern Road.

Sadly there's also a strong case for getting rid of the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital and having a state-of-the art centre on another site. But the people planning these changes, who tend to be mobile and well-heeled, must think of their patients who are often old and poor.

Most people would accept travelling some distance to be treated in a regional centre for cancer or heart problems. But they don't always want to travel 15 or 20 miles for routine checks which could be easily carried out in a cottage hospital or GP's surgery.

Health chiefs must consult patients and make sure they get the changes right before they are imposed upon us.

Wrong address

Many people on the Whitehawk estate in Brighton feel their address discriminates against them when they are trying to get jobs and training.

If that's happening, it's wrong because employers should look at whether people are the best for the job rather than worrying about where they live.

But Whitehawk job seekers also have the future in their own hands. The more they can manage to make a success of the jobs they do take, the sooner the stigma will be lifted.

Private third eye

The handiest gift of all for a detective must be having psychic powers and that's exactly what Keith Charles from Woodingdean claims to possess.

Now giving demonstrations of his skills having retired from the force, Keith says he can speak to his dead son and happens to know where Lord Lucan is.

Some hard-bitten coppers are unlikely to believe a word of it but others may think there's something in what he says.

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