Consultant Derek Harborne works at the threatened Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

He voices his fears today saying many journey times for patients will increase if controversial changes to A&E treatment go ahead, meaning more patients will taken instead to already stretched hospitals in Brighton and Redhill.

Mr Harborne's position makes it difficult or impossible for him to spell out the potentially dire consequences.

But in some cases, we believe those delays will cost lives.

Under the proposals, heart attack victims and asthma patients will continue to be treated at the Princess Royal.

But that will be no consolation to the relatives of anyone who dies while their ambulance gets stuck in traffic heading for the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Mid Sussex crash victims will go there, not Haywards Heath.

Mr Harborne said crash victims would be delayed getting to hospital because of the changes, partly due to traffic congestion in Brighton.

He said: "You couldn't guarantee to get a patient speedily to either the East Surrey (Redhill) or Brighton. It's very congested in Brighton at times.

"I'm very carefully not saying patients will die as a result of this because I can't prove it, whatever my private opinion might be.

"I think patients are intelligent enough to know the difference between a full accident and emergency service and the proposed urgent treatment centre."

Health chiefs say they have not made a final decision and are prepared to listen to public opinion.

We are prepared to take them at their word and believe public opinion is on the side of a re-think.

The Argus will let you know how you can get involved in our campaign in the coming weeks.

A decision will not be made until at least the end of September but we want to know your views.

As revealed by the Argus on Friday, health chiefs have been considering three possible ways forward:

l Option 1: No change.

l Option 2: Closing the A&E unit at the Princess Royal, so all casualty patients are treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and other hospitals.

l Option 3: Admitting some A&E patients, such as heart attack victims and asthma sufferers, to the Princess Royal. Others needing emergency surgery, for example after a car crash, would go to the Royal Sussex County, the East Surrey Hospital at Redhill or elsewhere.

The Central Sussex Review Board, which has been considering the future of health services in the area, favours Option 3.

A board statement said said the proposals would enable patients to be seen more quickly by specialists, centred at large hospitals in line with Government thinking.

But Mr Harborne is worried about the effect the proposed changes will have on people such as crash victims.

Paramedics can stabilise some patients where injuries are external and obvious, for example an amputated limb or a severe cut.

But only the quick intervention of a surgeon can help when crash victims suffer internal injuries.

The Argus carried out studies to test the amount of time it would take to get to the Princess Royal Hospital and the Royal Sussex County Hospital from an imaginary crash scene just off the A23 at Hickstead.

The Brighton journey was double the distance and took more than twice as long, 27 minutes compared with 13.

Both runs were done outside rush-hours during a Friday afternoon, using maximum speeds where safe.

Ambulance crews would normally cut journey times because of special traffic dispensations in emergencies, but getting to the Royal Sussex would still take longer than reaching the Princess Royal.

Mr Harborne said: "Option 3 should be rejected. I would support it if I genuinely thought we had a poor service but I think we are certainly up to national standards.

"The Mid Sussex NHS Trust has been asking for more investment in new consultants for a number of years."

Mid Sussex district councillor Clive Chapman, whose ward includes the Princess Royal Hospital, said: "I'm for keeping things as they are.

"We've got a relatively new hospital and it seems just crazy to cut down any services."

Review board member June Dales was keen to stress a decision will only be taken after extensive consultation with the public.

The board will publish a discussion document on July 27 and hold a series of public meetings before making a decision in late September or early October.

Mrs Dales said: "We genuinely want to know what people think."

The review board includes representatives from health authorities, NHS trusts, community health councils, care groups, Sussex Ambulance Service and the NHS Executive regional office.

Please write to Save Our A&E, Evening Argus, 5 Church Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 9BB.

Alternatively, e-mail matthew.james@argus-btn.co.uk with a copy to phil.dennett@argus-btn.co.uk We are particularly keen to hear from any crash victim whose life was saved at the Princess Royal A&E.