Now will they listen? Nearly 50,000 people have signed petition forms organised by the Argus and the Princess Royal Action Group.

They are protesting about proposals to downgrade the A&E department at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

There can be no doubt about the strength of feeling against the idea that seriously ill or injured people needing surgery should be treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Only this week, widespread floods have shown how easily communications can be cut between Mid Sussex and Brighton.

An ambulance making that journey during the worst of the weather might have taken a couple of hours, which could be all the difference between life and death for a critically ill patient.

Everyone accepts there are some specialist treatments that can only be available at big regional hospitals, or indeed at the major hospitals in London, but the burgeoning Mid Sussex area is, without doubt, busy enough to deserve a fully-fledged accident and emergency department of its own.

Encouraging noises have been made by Professor Michael Whiting, chairman of the board that will make the decisions about health care in the future.

It's now down to everyone concerned to keep up the pressure on Professor Whiting and his colleagues so that patients can have emergency help close at hand.