Like Harry Redknapp I’ve had to get both my knees sorted. I want to thank the team at Dorset County Hospital who put my left knee back together recently.

Pre-op reception were calmly efficient, the pre-ops people were from all over the country and both professional and friendly, the Egyptian surgeon did a wonderfully ‘clean job’ on my knee. The post-op team were Danish, English and Filipino and brilliantly patient.

The ward nurses were cheerful people, mainly from Weymouth, with a wicked sense of humour and my English and Bulgarian physiotherapists empathetic to my desire to achieve good mobility again.

They were all wonderful and DCH can be proud of its track record in excellent patient care.

Given the strength of ethnic diversity in our NHS, I dismiss the cynical immigration lobby with the contempt you all fully deserve. I also urge the right of centre tabloids to put up or shut up with their politically motivated criticisms of our NHS.

You have to wonder what these people want: an American system based on as healthy credit card rating?

I hope that local voters think carefully before committing their ballot on May 7 to a further undermining of a great British institution through shareholder interest dictated privatisation.

Meanwhile DCH, you can walk tall for the wonderful patient care you deliver. Thank you all.

Richard Denton-White

Fortuneswell

Portland