In recent weeks, your newspaper has printed a few letters condemning the running down of Marlborough Savernake Hospital and the nursing staff left to sort themselves out.

May I please be allowed to tell you the experience I have just had and leave you and your readers to judge for themselves. On May 13, mid-morning in Devizes with all that market day brings with it, I was walking down the road to get a paper.

Suddenly, I am told, many weeks later, I lost all life and just fell flat out on the road. Neighbours, friends and complete strangers phoned and the relevant emergency teams were there in minutes. Off to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, into intensive care unit and many hours later I was released minus a ruptured spleen.

A couple of days later and the decision was taken to transfer me to Savernake Hospital for rest and re-hab.

I awoke on Saturday morning to be asked how would I like my tea, in bed, and what would I like for breakfast?

I started living in a wonderful world of first class nursing care, staff who insisted on cleaning every bit of my room to a very high standard, interrupted only by a lady who just happened to place a tray in front of me on which was a plate of food fit for a king, not an elderly man from Devizes.

Late mornings and after a lunch, a keen young gentleman from Wales and his assistant would help me to the gym to see how much exercise I had done whilst lazing on the soft bed. So I pushed and pushed and occasionally, when they decided I was exhausted, or at least pretending, they would give in and escort me either to lunch or back to my room.

In between, one of the 20 or so nurses will pop in for half an hour or more to check me out for this or that and more important, ask me if I am 100 per cent with it, and understand what improvements, almost on a daily basis, they expect to see in my timing, lifting ability or if on build-up rations to see improvement in my ability not just my weight.

Come mid to late evening a new team of nurses start their shift. They check on every patient and God bless their patience, answer call bells should I feel thirsty.

And so it went on. In my case just for five weeks, they told me I was fit enough to go home. They assured me I was not being abandoned, for a team of carers would call at home to offer help.

And so, if you are sent to Savernake Hospital, don’t worry, you will be in good hands.

Robin Taylor, The Castle Gatehouse, Devizes.