Thank you A&E I read the article ‘Struggling to meet demands’ in Friday’s Argus re the Royal Sussex with interest.

I had fallen over and banged my head badly so I had taken myself off to A & E.

I took with me a few days’ newspapers and magazines to read while I waited.

I checked into reception at 2.50 pm. At 2.55 pm I was seen by the triage nurse and checked over.

At 3.15 pm I saw an A & E doctor who checked me over thoroughly from head to toe.

By 3.30 I was walking out of A & E quite happy – except I hadn’t had time to read the newspapers or magazines.

The doctor had told me how busy they had been earlier and they had bought in extra staff to cover but still patients were waiting on trolleys in the corridor.

There is no way to estimate how many patients will fall through the door at any given time.

Brighton is one of the busiest seaside resorts in the country. It is the school holidays and the heart of summer.

Most of the time they get it right but it’s understandable that, given the circumstances, they cannot cope.

The A & E building is not designed to take the volume of patients passing through.

It’s time we praised them for the brilliant work they do under constant pressure, not continuously knock them for the number of patients waiting to be seen.

I for one would like to say a big thankyou.

Chris Barbara,

Collingwood Court,

Brighton Marina Village.