We’re often told our hospital services are not declining yet at Stoke Mandeville two basic comforting services are now lacking, I’m told to relieve the boredom and cheer patients up there was the traditional bedside radio headphones giving hospital or national programmes. 

Also, the opportunity to buy a daily paper or magazine, book etc. from a trolley touring the wards in the mornings. 

While visiting patients at Stoke Mandeville last month I was told on Ward 17 that those cheer-up services are no longer provided. A great pity. 

I suspect that the volunteers to run a trolley service are hard to find these days but surely the opportunity to listen to the radio can avoid cut-backs?

Some hospitals even have a TV on a trolley which can be wheeled to a bedside for a fee but that facility is also lacking for us it seems.

Also, if our hard-pressed local NHS wants to save some money they could perhaps remove every other lighting tube from long deserted corridors and frequently empty rooms and departments.

Our hospitals are often a blaze of light even during daylight hours, plus windows opened wide to vent too much heating in many areas. 

Name and address supplied