AS AN avid reader of the Weston & Somerset Mercury for many years, I rarely feel the need to contact you on any of your news items. However, I feel I must write regarding the items printed concerning Weston General Hospital. I do sympathise with your rea

AS AN avid reader of the Weston & Somerset Mercury for many years, I rarely feel the need to contact you on any of your news items. However, I feel I must write regarding the items printed concerning Weston General Hospital. I do sympathise with your readers and can understand their concern about the welfare of their loved ones while in hospital, but I feel there is another side to this story.My husband and I owe our lives to the hospital. I was admitted to the hospital with breast cancer and had a mastectomy in 1996, a TIA (slight stroke) in 2003, and a hysterectomy in 2006. My husband was rushed in as an emergency in 2000 and operated on for bowel cancer and had a re-connection in 2001. I have recently been attending Weston hospital every six months for a flexible cystoscopy.I have always felt that all of the staff do a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances. I think they are working under an increasingly difficult regime. The nurses do all they can for their patients and I have always been amazed at how they can keep so cheerful and calm under all sorts of adversities.Thank you for the chance to write this letter and I say a big thank you to the staff at Weston hospital for all they've done for us and all the other people they've helped.MARION BOOKER - Nightingale Close, BurnhamA FEW days before Christmas, I had the pleasure of visiting most departments in Weston Hospital, distributing small gifts to the staff on behalf of the League of Friends as a token of thanks for all their help throughout the year.Some years have passed since I last made a tour of the hospital, and as a result of my visit feel the citizens of Weston should be very proud to have such a fine hospital with dedicated and pleasant staff. I look forward to the time when Weston General receives extra funding, when things should be easier for all.JUNE STEPHEN - League of Friends presidentI WOULD like to take this opportunity to thank all the doctors - Ben, Alex, Dr Derby and Dr Wright - and all the nursing staff who looked after my mother on Berrow ward, not only for their dedicated care and professionalism, but for making her final days with us comfortable and pain-free.You took care of not only my mother, but also of us. I cannot thank you all enough.CAROL MARCHANT - Becket Road, Worle