ON Friday, June 16, my father was admitted to Malvern Community Hospital following a long battle with cancer. For the following two weeks, up to his death on June 30, my family spent a lot of our time at the hospital.

I would like to express my thanks to all of the staff involved with my father. I did not at any time of the day or night experience any frustration, annoyance, impatience, or lack of care when it came to my father's well-being. Every effort was made to keep him as comfortable as possible, and to make sure that I and my family suffered the minimum amount of upset considering the situation we were in.

There were times when I was probably calling them to the room once every 15 minutes or so, either because dad needed some attention, or because I did not understand something I was observing at that moment. Even though they were looking after everybody else in the hospital as well, the response was always prompt and considerate. I was never made to feel a nuisance or a bind. I am certain every member of my family feels the same.

I know the nurses and staff were 'just doing their jobs' as some people might say, but they were very important to me, because my father's comfort and relative well-being was totally in their hands. As a result, they will always be important to me, because of the care they showed to dad, because there will never be any satisfactory way of thanking them enough, and because that kind of action restores my battered faith in the human condition.

Richard Upson, Malvern.