I have just returned after a stay in Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

On my high speed journey down the M6 from Endmoor I was thinking 'what’s the hurry, according to all the press reports, there will no doubt be a queue of ambulances waiting outside A & E'.

But lo and behold I was wheeled straight through an empty corridor and into a cubicle where I was immediately attended to by a triage nurse, all the necessary tests carried out and I was dispatched onto a ward where my treatment began.

Speaking to the other three individuals who were sharing the room with me, I established that each of them had the same experience, at a time when the news media is dominated by horror stories regarding A & E and hospital admissions.

I was only in hospital for a relatively short stay, but long enough to appreciate that the nursing staff were run off their feet, while all the time retaining their sense of humour and compassion.

There was one small part of my adventure that did not run smoothly, for which I must emphasise I am not complaining. When my condition rapidly deteriorated at home, my beloved called 111 and was, for at least 30 minutes, unable to get through.

Because we live in a small village we are lucky enough to have a wonderful group of people called the First Responders, who have taken care of me on numerous occasions in the past until an ambulance arrives.

One of their number, a young man called Kerry, lives just a few doors away and my wife saw him passing on his way home. She spoke to him and he came and stayed with me until he finally got through to 111 and an ambulance was despatched from Sedbergh.

I appreciate it was the sheer volume of calls that prevented our call getting answered by the 111 team.

Kenny Curwen

Endmoor