We have the Victoria Hospital in Lewes, which is handy for the folk who can use it, but it doesn't seem to have much of an impact on how busy the RSCH gets.
The bizarre thing about A&E units is that they deal with accidents AND emergencies. Why should someone with a broken ankle have to be triaged in competition with someone who has had a cardiac arrest? Separate units for injuries and health emergencies surely make sense, no? And pharmacists...
I don't perceive the problem as being about a shortage of GPs. It seems to me to be partly about the difficulties of getting a GP appointment at short notice ... "there's nothing available until Thursday, I'm afraid". Once you've heard that two or three times, you are much more likely to pack...