YOUR article regarding the capacity at Dorchester hospital must echo with Bournemouth and Poole too.

On Saturday morning an elderly neighbour fell badly in the street and, although a passing doctor and a retired paramedic diagnosed possible fractures amongst other injuries and not to move him, it took an ambulance four-and-a-half hours to arrive and take him to Poole hospital.

Neighbours stayed with him the whole time he was lying there and tried to make him comfortable, and kept him awake as he was fading after three hours.

The excellent ambulance staff said it was just a case of too many people and not enough beds.

They have to wait outside hospital until it’s their turn to enter, and then the patients are taken into major or minor casualty before they can discharge their them, rather than going on to another urgent case.

Everyone is aware, but what can be done to prevent this dreadful situation happening again?

ALISON GAIN

Hurn Way, Christchurch