Dear Mr Hunt, it's time to give health workers a big pay rise

My dear wife Margaret lost her battle with cancer on January 27 after a long illness which got worse over Christmas and the New Year.

She was readmitted to hospital on January 4, things got gradually worse in spite of the dedicated care and attention she received and she was discharged at her own request on January 24 to die at home with family and friends.

She came home by ambulance and was attended by district nurses and the Severn Hospice care at home team until she passed away peacefully with her family around her on January 27.

The purpose of this letter is to highlight the wonderful care and attention she received from all the doctors, nurses and staff at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital also the doctors and staff at the Riverside Medical Practice in Shrewsbury, the district nurses and the care at home team from the Severn Hospice.

You were all wonderful.

The one wish Margaret wanted that she was unable to carry out was to write to you to say that you should spend at least one day working as an orderly in a busy hospital to really understand their workload and dedication and ignoring party pressures revise your opinion on what their pay rise should be.

That is it should be a large one.

Jim Ellerby

Shrewsbury