IT WAS heartening to turn to the Letters page on June 21 and read letters from N Hardy, Luke and Jane Godfrey and Michael De Silva bearing witness to the good treatment they had received from the NHS.

In 2009, a British Social Attitudes Survey found that levels of satisfaction with the NHS were higher than at any time since 1984.

Moreover, those with recent experiences of the NHS tended to be far more satisfied with it than those without.

A survey in 2010 by the Commonwealth Fund found that the UK health system was rated more highly than those of Germany and France in terms of reported medical errors, patient confidence in treatment and perceived need for fundamental changes.

This, in spite of lower spending – if the NHS were funded at French levels, there would have been £11 billion more in its budget last year.

These findings do not suggest a health service needing radical reform, but one that needs celebrating, defending and developing.

If we take the NHS for granted, we will lose it.

The Not Enough Vases Campaign has declared the week commencing July 4 as Brighton and Hove NHS Affirmation Week. There will be a series of small peaceful demonstrations to say thank you to NHS staff for the work they do day in, day out.

Sean de Podesta, St John’s Place, Brighton

No to the NHS

KEN KIRK’S letter (The Argus, June 15) is symptomatic of the continual whining about the NHS.

The NHS is not affordable at present and needs reform.

All other benefits need to be severely curtailed and used to pay the deficit or for the NHS.

We cannot have massive benefit payments and an all-embracing NHS.

Child benefits should go. That’s £12 billion that could help fund the NHS.

Tax credits – there’s another abuse. Any benefits paid to non-workers that equal or pass what working people earn should be scrapped. That’s how you get a decent NHS.

Roger Watts, Montpelier Place, Brighton

Thanks to the NHS

I HAVE just spent five days in the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, having the most wonderful treatment from everyone involved.

From A&E and AMU, right through to the Haematology/Oncology ward.

The professionalism, compassion, care and fun was really inspiring.

My faith in the NHS and its staff has been truly enhanced.

Mary Osborne, Bourne Court, Patcham, Brighton