Although I disagree with the comments made by Elizabeth Wakefield (Letters, September 29) regarding the Labour conference being held in Brighton, she did make an extremely valid point regarding the need for a new hospital.

Firstly, though, it is not her city. Did she buy it?

This city belongs to all those who decide to make it their home and currently they are being badly let down by a hospital which has been tarnished with so much bad publicity that patients I see are petrified of going there.

Having spent my student nurse years there, I know it well. A shabby building can demoralise even the best staff (and there are many).

I suggest:

1 A new hospital be built in Hove in order to ease the enormous pressure on the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH).

2 The RSCH is properly re-developed (preferably on a new site) although I realise this would be more difficult to achieve, especially as much money has been spent on the renal unit, the Millennium wing and the children's hospital.

I conclude, therefore, that it will continue where it is.

The Barry building could be used for administration and staff changing areas because a new hospital in Hove which included an A & E department would free up space.

Hopefully then the people of Brighton and Hove could all have access to healthcare in up-to-date facilities.

A magnificent roof could cover the whole of the newly-developed RSCH, which I feel should be renamed Brighton City Hospital.

-N Murphy, Portslade