Last week, my son, a 20-year old student, was the victim of an unprovoked assault in a Brighton night club.

Given the bad press hospitals routinely receive, we might have been forgiven had we been apprehensive about the care he would receive at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Far from it. From admission to A&E in the early hours of the morning through to his discharge nine hours later, the quality of care was first class.

He was seen in turn by the triage nurse, an A&E doctor, a junior doctor specialising in maxillofacial injuries, a registrar and, finally, a consultant orthodontist.

As parents, we are relieved and delighted our son was fortunate enough to be taken to the Royal Sussex and then to the orthodontic unit at the Children's Hospital for treatment.

I thank the hospitals and all the staff concerned.

-Nigel Kay, Fordingbridge, Hants