I have in the past via these columns been guilty of attacking the manner in which the NHS spends its £90billion budget.

On a positive note, I have recently attended Royal Blackburn Hospital as an outpatient for pre-operative assessment under the care of Mr M A Rahi and under-gone surgery in the Day Care Unit at Burnley General Hospital.

At both locations the care I received from all the nursing staff was exceptional.

Throughout my visits I was treated with compassion, dignity and understanding, and the wards were clinically clean.

I have nothing but praise for the staff whose delivery of such a quality service is only hampered by clerical demands and admission forms they are obliged to complete for each patient.

Jim Oldcorn, Gt Harwood.