THERE is always criticism of the NHS and staff in the media but I would like to express my gratitude and sing the praises of the NHS and especially the Darlington Memorial Hospital nursing staff.

My father, 85-years-old, took ill late on Wednesday 2nd July. I rang 999, reporting he was not breathing and an ambulance and paramedics arrived within 10 mins.

They worked on him and rushed him into A&E at the Memorial where he was assessed and sent for an urgent CT scan. We were advised he had suffered a massive stroke and was unconscious and paralysed on his right hand side.

The nurses made sure my mother was alright and understood everything. The doctor explained there was no real hope of recovery and we asked for him to be kept comfortable until the inevitable.

My father was transferred to Ward 14 and then onto Ward 41. The staff on both wards treated him with dignity and compassion, ensuring he was as comfortable as possible and giving him antibiotics and painkillers to keep him as painfree as possible.

They were constantly checking on him and always talked to him, even though there was no response.

On Saturday, July 5, we had just returned home when the sister rang to say he had deteriorated and a nurse had been with him when he died. The compassion shown to my family when we returned was genuinely caring and I cannot thank them all enough. Perhaps more people should take the time to thank staff rather than only complain.

Lynne Cooke, Darlington.