Thanks to wonderful NHS staff at St James's Hospital during my cancer treatment: Yorkshire Post Letters

John Cole, Baildon, Shipley.

I was recently diagnosed with an early-stage rectal tumour. In consequence I am now part way through a course of treatment at St James Hospital, Leeds.

I have been hugely impressed by how the hospital has dealt with me. It is not just that the treatment is very efficient and things run to time. It is far more than that.

All staff I have encountered have been empathetic, supportive and, most importantly, cheerful. Cancer scares, and a room have been set aside for children and another for teenagers. The messaging is pitched at the right level.

Thought and imagination have gone into the provision. A lovely touch is, when a patient reaches the end of their treatment, they are invited to ring a bell - a way of “signing off”.

The NHS is not perfect and sadly there have been a number of negative stories in recent years. I thought I would try to balance things up by “shouting out” for the Oncology Dept. at Leeds St James.

In short, I am so grateful for all they are doing for me. And I suspect many others being treated for cancer there would agree with me.