Once again, the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) area hospitals will have to cut its services and staff.

For the past few months, I have attended various out-patients departments after my GP referred me concerning an illness which has proved extremely difficult to diagnose.

These have included the eye hospital, maxio-facial clinic and ear, nose and throat department and I have had various X-rays, tests and scans.

The buildings are inadequate for the number of patients being treated and the working conditions for staff are poor, to say the least.

However, the standard of care and the expertise are excellent, while the general atmosphere generated is one of concern for the welfare of the patients, caring and efficiency.

The system is in need of a good overhaul but no one can fault the staff. They should not have to live with the threat of redundancy. Given the enormous area covered by the RSCH, it would seem instead of constant calls for cutbacks in spending, the Government should be looking to increase the funding to these cash-starved units.

We seem able to fund wars at the drop of a hat.

The concerns of the Government should be much closer to home.

-Grateful patient, Patcham