AS a recent in-patient at Kidderminster Hospital, I feel compelled to highlight the positive experience I had.

I hope this letter will help to increase the awareness of what our hospital has to offer, in terms of facilities, treatment and staff professionalism.

Having had to confront the realities of cancer, what could have turned out to be an even more unpleasant and frightening experience, instead was an event in my life which was made so much easier because of the excellent treatment and care I received locally.

Even as a member of the local support group, based at the hospital, I was still unaware until it was offered to me that I could choose whether to have my operation at Worcester or Kidderminster, where there is an entire floor with an open ward and 30 private en-suite rooms available.

At my time of stay only two rooms were being occupied and for a couple of days I was the only patient. This has been open for about two years now, yet is still not being used effectively, mainly due to people not knowing it is there.

All the staff at Kidderminster, were kind, considerate, competent and friendly at all times, and were understanding of my family and their needs.

I had a private room with my own large bathroom, enabling me to have ultimate privacy.

I was treated with dignity and respect and felt like a human being, not "another patient or statistic" as is so often the case.

I cannot compliment the staff and the whole experience enough, and would happily state that the experience was better than some previous ones I have had elsewhere.

ANNE NEWMAN

Low Habberley, Kidderminster