I FIND it hard to believe that Bishop Auckland’s A&E was closed, when Darlington and Durham’s are continuously full to the rafters.

My two-year-old granddaughter hurt her leg at the weekend.

She waited for five hours on Saturday for an X-ray, which had been refused at Bishop because they don’t X-ray under fives.

She was then sent home with an appointment for ten days later, despite being unable to walk. We returned with her today to wait another five hours for another X-ray which showed the possibility of a broken femur.

I think it’s appalling expecting a two-year-old to wait a total of ten hours to be seen.

Should the very young and the very old not be made a priority, after emergencies. Bishop’s A&E should be reopened.

Whether the hospital is open or closed completely, rent still has to be paid, so running it a minimum service level seems like false economy.

But hey ho, what do us lowly locals know.

Susan Dale, Bishop Auckland