On Wednesday this week Patricia Hewitt will address the Labour Party Conference on the subject of "Improving Health and Education".

The conference may be a few hundred miles from the South East this year but the issues around the health debate are very close to the regions hearts.

Here are some of your comments:

The same thing is happening in Brighton, Worthing and Chichester, with the closure of services at Southlands, Worthing and St. Richard's hospitals. The loss of A&E is especially worrying - surely it's a no brainer that more people will die because emergency facilities are fewer and further between?
Derek Charles

I live a few minutes away from the Princess Royal Hospital and I am currently pregnant so under a consultant obstetrician at the threatened Maternity Unit. Under the plans, this Maternity Unit is threatened with closure. This would mean that I would have to travel to Worthing for routine appointments with my obstetrician as, due to existing health problems, I have to have an elective c-section. So far with this pregnancy I have had 5 appointments with my consultant as it has been far from straightforward. It seems madness to me that I would have to travel approximately 40 minutes to get the hospital where I would receive my care - and if you don't drive and are faced with this journey by public transport, (I'm disabled and don't drive) the whole proposition becomes ludicrous.
Nichola Vincendeau

As a resident of Crawley Down I am extremely worried about the Princess Royal's future but even more worried that your programme did not highlight in my view significantly it's likely downgrading-but more importantly why the health service in Sussex and Surrey is in the state it is-Hastings losing maternity services is serious but nothing as bad as losing A and E and all critical services. People will die if they have to go to Brighton or Redhill as they take an hour from this area. Also East Surrey is already struggling with taking on Crawley how will it cope with East Grinstead and all the extra homes in East Grinstead-this is a crisis is was a pity your programme did not put the people who have caused this crisis in Mid Sussex on the spot.
Helen Atton, Crawley Down, West Sussex

I still do not understand why the Health Service is in such a mess in Sussex and Surrey-why did no one press that Labour Minister to tell us where all that record investment is.

East Grinstead cannot afford with its population doubling to see the Princess Royal close-we cannot afford the Princess Royal to go the way of Crawley.

The people of Hastings are very lucky to have the Conquest-Crawley and East Grinstead have double the population of Hastings and have no maternity and A and E at all except for the Princess Royal. East Surrey is severely stretched and must not be allowed to be the answer-it is a great pity your film crew did not film the ambulances waiting outside the East Surrey to get their casualties actually into A and E.

Finally I hope next week you get a Tory Shadow Cabinet Minister on to the SE Politics Show to actually say what the Tories will do about it.
John Burgess, Ashurstwood, near East Grinstead

Sounds like she wants old people out of HPL and in the community where cut backs can go unnoticed and care needs neglected.
Sarah, Hastings

Caroline's is missing the point. The roads in this area are archaic we would take up to an hour and a half to get to Worthing from my home on a good day.
Anon

My 6 year old daughter nearly lost her arm and was treated successfully. A journey to Hastings would have meant amputation due to added time. Discuss!
Alison, Eastbourne

If Hastings MP Michael Foster fails to dissuade his bosses he should resign.
Anon

Cut back hospital administrators.
Marie Waughman, Hastings

When I was in labour I had to rush to the DGH instead of the Conquest because the maternity unit was closed due to being full up so they shouldn't close either.

Three words sum up the so called NHS improvements: Capitalist Money Madness.
Anon

What about all the extra housing due to be built - more patients!
Anon

If the roads between Eastbourne and Hastings were better it might not be a problem, but as a past visitor to Eastbourne the journey is horrendous.
Margaret, Wingham

How come most of the hospital and ward closures etc are mainly in Tory areas, NOT labour ones? Just WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?? Wages?
Anon

I live in Hastings and took part in the march on 20th. We and all major towns need to keep our facilities. People from outlying areas are going to die. In an emergency, it would be ridiculous to have to travel from e.g. Rye to Eastbourne. The roads are not suitable.
Jane Smith

How can the government keep telling people to cut car emissions, then force them to travel 20 miles to get to hospital?
K Barter, Tonbridge

Mr Yeo or Dr Scott what other services or departments are allied to maternity and what would be the effect on the hospital that lost that unit?
Margaret, Sec to Friends of Conquest Hastings

I would change Canterbury birth unit.
Anon

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