LETTER: Value NHS staff and reward them fairly

READ MORE: King’s Mill staff face pay freezes

The consultants, doctors, nurses and ancillary staff showed consideration, efficiency and friendliness throughout, not just to me but to all the patients around me. I think we need to be constantly reminded of our good fortune in having a free health service and, in particular, such an outstanding hospital locally.

My daughter lives in the USA and thankfully has had very few health problems, but when she has had tests or minor treatment, the bills she has personally had to pay have been more than double the estimate - and that is in addition to the demand the professionals send to her private insurance company which, of course, affects her future premiums. She sets aside an ever-increasing amount in savings annually as a ‘buffer’ against possible future needs and cannot guess what in the eventuality might be required. In every area of medicine she finds the charges are calculated in a totally arbitrary way, so that it can escalate from one month to the next. 
In the case of those with modest incomes, this burden cannot aid recovery from concerning health problems.

In this country, we should all - especially those in government, as Graham Headworth implies - be more fully aware of the vital necessity and value of the NHS, and support its skilled and caring staff who only ask for fair reward.

Sheila Haslam

Mansfield