Hospital care

SIR – Having read recent accounts of poor care received in local hospitals, I wish to balance the scales a little with heartfelt thanks to the local medical services for their superb care of my mother, Maureen Sowerby, who died in October. In the months u

SIR - Having read recent accounts of poor care received in local hospitals, I wish to balance the scales a little with heartfelt thanks to the local medical services for their superb care of my mother, Maureen Sowerby, who died in October. In the months under their care, my mother was treated with utmost respect and was able to die in peace, with dignity.

Particular thanks to Dr Christine Voyce of the Maltings Surgery and their district nurse team led by Claire Turner who showed a depth of care we were surprised at in these days of targets.

The support from Grove House, Hospice at Home, and Macmillan helped ease mum gently from this life. The horror stories should not be ignored and are a call to action but our experience of talented professionals doing their job with devotion cannot be unique, and we offer our admiration and gratitude to them.

HELEN CARRUTHERS

Prae Close, St Albans