MADAM - I’m writing this email in response to the headlines in last week's Stourbridge News.

Whilst we all know that sometimes our hospitals are struggling to cope with huge demands in A&E and patients are waiting more than four hours we should not forget that eventually everyone is seen and given the appropriate care.

I became very ill in the early hours of Christmas Eve morning. Fortunately I was able to call for help. I’d lost consciousness and hit my head on the radiator cutting my head open. I was taken by ambulance to Russell’s Hall A&E were I received immediate attention. I thought I’d had flu. I was put into the High Dependency Unit and received continuous care for four days. Turns out that I had pneumonia, septic shock and acute kidney injury. Plus eleven staples in my head wound.

I came home on New Years Day and am getting back to normal gradually. I now know that I nearly didn’t make it to see 2020.

I am so grateful to the staff at Russell’s Hall. They are saving people’s lives and improving lives all the time. And working so hard.

I would like to see some news items that would help boost staff moral. It must be so demoralising to be constantly criticised by the media.

Let’s hope that the NHS does receive the support promised by Boris very soon. But in the meantime let’s remember the hard work and dedication that goes on every hour of every day and night by the staff in all our hospitals.

Brenda Sandall-Edwards

Wordsley

So grateful to be alive!