A much-loved villager has praised hospital staff for their dedicated care when she spent four weeks recovering from a fall.

Marion Friend, a former postwoman, cook and market gardener on the Bere Peninsula, suffered multiple injuries after falling at home – luckily help was summoned by a special alarm she wears.

She blanked out before each fall and broke two vertebrae, suffered two fractures of her pelvis and broke four ribs at home in Bere Ferrers.

Marion, 85, is now recovering slowly, but well, at home as villagers rally round, ensuring she has company, food and ingredients for her favourite pastime of baking.

Not only was Marion highly complimentary of the staff, but also received praise from health care staff and fellow patients for her own contribution to the wellbeing of everyone on Derriford Hospital’s Meldon Ward.

Marion said: “I cannot speak highly enough about all the health and support staff on Meldon Ward. I’m so impressed by how cheerful and caring the nurses, health care assistants and doctors can be during long 12-hour shifts. They never stopped being very professional, but also friendly and truly caring.

“There were some very sick ladies on that ward and they needed more attention than I did. They needed reassurance and comforting at all hours during the night and nurses were so kind, which was wonderful to see.”

Marion made life easier for grateful busy staff by washing herself in bed: “I told the doctor I didn’t need to stay long as there were others who needed his care more than I did. I told him I had a 93-year-old neighbour back home who needed me. He said I should let them look after me for as long I needed.”

Her niece Emma said: “Aunty Marion is so kind to everyone and was the perfect patient, but was always thinking of others in hospital.”