AFTER recent reports of old people being left unattended for long periods at hospitals, I must tell of my own experience.

After returning from holiday, my mother, aged 81, felt unwell. I rang the NHS helpline at 5.40pm on a Saturday and, as promised, they rang back in four minutes. They spoke to me and then my mother and decided to send an ambulance.

Minutes later it arrived and took her to Blackburn Infirmary, stopping on the way for the paramedic to give her an injection.

On arrival at the accident and emergency department, she was seen straight away and after having her blood pressure and temperature taken and giving a blood sample and having x-rays, she was settled in the assessment ward at 7.45pm -- two hours from my phone call to the helpline.

After five days in hospital my mother was back home feeling better.

We have no complaints, only praise for the overworked staff.

Were we 'lucky' or is this normal? We only seem to hear about the 'unlucky' ones.

M TOWNSEND, Harwood Road, Rishton.