OAP badly hurt outside hospital taken to another 10 miles away

People have expressed dismay after a pensioner who was badly hurt in a road accident outside Crawley Hospital had to be taken to Redhill to be treated.
The Saturn Centre, Crawley Hospital. Pic Steve Robards  SR1705209 SUS-170313-120950001The Saturn Centre, Crawley Hospital. Pic Steve Robards  SR1705209 SUS-170313-120950001
The Saturn Centre, Crawley Hospital. Pic Steve Robards SR1705209 SUS-170313-120950001

The man, aged in his 70s from Horsham, was on foot when he was injured in a collision with a blue Honda Jazz at about 2.25pm on Tuesday (July 11).

He was taken to East Surrey Hospital (ESH) in Redhill with serious injuries, said Sussex Police.

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Many people on our Facebook page were shocked that he could not be helped at Crawley Hospital.

One said: “Anyone see the irony? The poor man was taken to ESH A&E after an accident outside a hospital, it’s ridiculous a town of this size and population has no A&E cover.”

Another added: “We are a big town and getting bigger. I think its crazy we don’t have an A&E and maternity ward etc anymore. It wasn’t just Crawley people who relied on Crawley hospital, but people from Horsham etc. The strain on East Surrey hospital must be huge!”

Some thought Crawley should never have lost its own A&E.

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A reader posted: “It’s ridiculous we don’t have an accident and emergency in Crawley anymore.’

And another said: “Maybe Crawley as a large town should have its own A&E as it used to.”

Dr Laura Hill, Clinical Director at Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “A&E departments offer a very high level of specialist care and it is not feasible to have one in every single town. Crawley does have an Urgent Treatment Centre open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which allows people with urgent conditions to be treated close to home.

“Those with more severe medical emergencies can be taken by ambulance to our local emergency department at East Surrey Hospital, receiving timely access to true and well-resourced emergency care enroute and at the emergency department.”

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