"Email to Southeast today- response to criticism"

Hello

I have been moved to write because of all the bad publicity you have been giving recently to hospitals in Kent and Sussex, and the NHS in general.

My recent experience of the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton runs completely counter to this as when I had to take my grandson there on Thursday 14th with severe breathing difficulties we could not have received better or more prompt treatment. Every member of the team was very competent, thorough, caring and reassuring throughout the day and evening and saw my grandson and the family safely through a worrying time. I cannot recall all the names but I would like to mention the doctor, the nurse in charge, a very competent student nurse, a senior ward nurse, and a specialist respiratory nurse. Our grateful thanks to all of them and to those I forgot- you were all brilliant.

I know you at Southeast Today have a duty to investigate and expose incompetence and poor standards in hospitals but I would ask that you look more at things in the round and give more credit for good performance in very busy and trying circumstances, rather than concentrate on the relatively rare bad examples. I think you should also be aware that there is a small proportion of patients who will never be satisfied however good their treatment, and a proportion who will manufacture complaints in the hope of obtaining compensation. Perhaps you would do well to turn more of your investigatory zeal and criticism on these elements.

Kind regards

Richard Morley