REGARDING Mrs Christine Wilkin-Wyke's complaint about being addressed as "cock" by a ward sister at Blackburn Infirmary (LET, March 4), what a load of rubbish!

I was brought up in Oswaldtwistle, where she lives, and this was a definite term of endearment there.

Hospital nursing staff have enough to cope with without this nonsense. If anyone deserves an apology, it is the sister.

ROY HIGGINSON, Stuart Close, Darwen.