When The Argus highlighted the death of former Hove mayor Ian Moy-Loader in hospital, it sounded as if problems in caring for the elderly had just arisen.

But, as we report today, there was a similar case at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton two years ago.

Lesley Morrill hoped after making complaints about the treatment of her 72-year-old mother, Rose Wintle, that improvements would be made. Now she knows little has happened since.

Brighton Health Care NHS Trust chief executive Stuart Welling said there were serious shortcomings in the way this old woman was treated and that many lessons would be learned from the case.

Mrs Wintle was left on a trolley when in great discomfort and did not receive the care she deserved.

Her daughter was angry when she read about Mr Moy-Loader being left on a mattress on the floor because it seemed things had got worse rather than better.

There are enormous problems for a busy hospital like this which faces financial pressure, staff shortages and some extremely old buildings.

Some of them can only be resolved by wholesale reforms of the NHS, modelling it on the systems in France and Germany, which have been much more successful.

But even in the failing NHS, Brighton Health Care Trust is at the bottom of the pile, having received a zero rating in a Government survey.

There should not be horror stories such as those of Rose Wintle and Ian Moy-Loader. Unless there are drastic improvements in the next month or two, Mr Welling and his top team will be left with little choice than to go.