SIR – My husband is home six and a half months after having suffered a haemorrhagic stroke. He is still receiving therapy courtesy of South Worcester Stroke Team.

What I want to talk about are the things the NHS staff gave us that money can’t buy.

This letter is a small thank you to all the staff of the NHS who helped to get my husband from death’s door back home almost intact. First of all the woman who answered my 999 call was so kind, calm and reassuring, she explained she was relaying the answers to her questions to the paramedic who was on his way. He arrived promptly followed by an ambulance and two more paramedics. They were so professional in their treatment.

The staff in the Casualty Department in Worcester Royal Infirmary were brilliant. Staff found time to reassure me.

The Neurologists at Coventry did an emergency operation on Dave and he subsequently went to the Critical Care Unit. I cannot praise the staff in CCU enough. They were absolutely amazing, particularly the nurse in charge who spent time he could ill afford talking me and my family through everything that was being done.

After that Dave went to the neurological step-down ward where he received some initial rehabilitation therapy in addition to his medical treatment. The staff on the Ward did things like arrange for a quiet room to be ours exclusively so that the family could share Dave’s birthday undisturbed. It is these little thoughtful things that lift the staff out of the ordinary.

The Leamington Spa Rehabilitation Hospital where Dave was transferred after two months was, to my surprise, a very happy place. All the staff on the Campion Ward knew who Dave was, where he had come from and what condition he was in, before he arrived. The therapists allocated to Dave were amazing. They all went the extra mile. The Health Care Assistants were, like those in Coventry, careful to maintain the patients’ dignity.

Now Dave is in the hands of the West Worcestershire Stroke Team and once again we are being helped by the kindest, most dedicated and caring people.

This is the NHS I experienced, the one which has the kindest, most dedicated and caring staff who give from their hearts. This is something you cannot pay for. We feel very privileged living in a country with arguably the best National Health Service in the world.

Alison Pickford

Malvern

Trust soldiers

SIR – Senior members of the British Armed Forces apparently said that we would be safer in EU, according to a letter orchestrated by 10 Downing Street earlier this year and signed by a number of senior members of the Armed Forces.  However, it emerged that one of the claimed signatories had not signed at all.  General Sir Michael Rose had instead said that “sovereignty and security are intrinsically linked and recent years we’ve seen the EU erode our sovereignty.”  No. 10 was forced to issue a humiliating apology to him.

David Cameron and his advisers are desperate to push the “Project Fear” line but are signally failing.  I prefer to listen to the opinions of senior military and business figures on the subject.

Wendy Hands

Upton-upon-Severn

Have respect

SIR – How dare JH Harrison blame pensioners for getting to pension age. As a pensioner myself now I think it’s time people like him had more respect. I don’t know his age but if like he says in his letter 20,30,40-year-olds struggle to make ends meet.

What does he think we did when we were younger. It’s no different now, every generation will struggle to make ends meet.

Hope you live a long and happy retirement. See how you like being run down when you reach our age.

CAROLE ROBERTS

Worcester