I read with interest Mr Tony Colman's experience at Kingston Hospital in November (Guardian December 10,).

My husband was also admitted to Kingston Hospital in November after an accident at home. He was seven and a half hours in casualty before being admitted.

There were not enough nurses to attend to all the ambulance cases that were being brought in. There were people on trolleys in the middle of the room due to lack of cubicles.

The situation at Kingston Hospital has been exacerbated by the closure of the A&E department at Queen Mary's. And the same situation exists at St George's (Guardian December 23, 1998).

Since the downgrading of Queen Mary's, what has been the increase in numbers of cases dealt with at Kingston and St George's, particularly in A&E? Also what has been the actual increase in nursing staff levels to meet the increased workload in these departments, and on the wards, caused by the downgrading of Queen Mary's?

Mr Colman said: "We repeat our belief that Queen Mary's must remain a full-service district hospital, including a full-strength Accident & Emergency Department, not simply a minor injuries clinic." What happened to that belief. In his letter Mr Colman said he is working on the situation in A&E at Kingston Hospital. What will he be doing? Neither Kingston Hospital nor St George's Tooting are in his constituency.

CAROLINE GARRATT

SW15

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