WE hear a great deal these days about poor standards in hospitals and about police who are most noticeable for their absence.

Recently my son, cycling to work, was involved in a collision with a car. He suffered a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain. The response of the emergency services, both police and paramedics, was immediate and efficient. The police have gone out of their way to be helpful, and the attitude of the policeman who came to tell me what had happened was courteous and considerate.

In just over two hours after the accident, my son was in theatre at Derriford Hospital and the blood clot was successfully dealt with. He is now out of intensive care, where the treatment he received was excellent. When my husband and I telephone or visit we are treated with great courtesy, our concerns taken seriously and questions answered.

When a real emergency occurs, the emergency services are there for us. I would like to thank all those who have made a difficult time less painful than it might otherwise have been.

Felicity Luckman

Uplands

Tavistock