Sir – You recently featured news of the official opening of Airedale Hospital’s new maternity unit.

I was lucky enough to make use of the amazing facilities when giving birth to my son on Saturday.

As your story reported, the new birthing suites are fantastic.

However, what really sets the unit apart is the first class care and support provided by the midwives and staff working at the unit.

While the pool and patio area both helped with the birth, what really made the experience and got me through a long and difficult labour was the staff.

They deserve our thanks and praise, now more than ever given that the NHS seems to be under siege and too often only the subject of negative headlines.

Ruth Patrick, Menston