LAST week I had a pacemaker implanted by a surgeon and staff at Airedale Hospital.

My life is already brighter. The team were of the high professional standard I’ve come to expect and yet again I’m grateful to them and to the associated administrative staff for their work, their support and their help.

I have a daughter and two grandchildren, and after them the NHS is, without a shadow of doubt, the best thing to have happened to me in my life.

It’s saved my life at least once, it’s seen me through major and minor physical and psychological problems for 73 years, it’s spent endless time and money on me, it’s been far far more than mere value for the National Insurance money I paid in when working.

The NHS is far too important merely to applaud on your doorstep and I would plead with all of your readers to take a few minutes this week to write to their Member of Parliament, be it Julian Smith or Robbie Moore, and urge them to lobby the Secretary of State for Health for a proper and overdue review of salaries for NHS nursing staff. Mine last week were, as ever, skilful, knowledgeable and endlessly supportive.

They deserve so much more than mere clapping from us.

Allan Friswell

Cowling