It’s not often I say good things about politicians, but it was heartening to see the three local MPs joining together to support Kettering General Hospital.

I think that’s what politics should be about – MPs supporting local issues and local people, putting aside party differences for the sake of the bigger picture.  Kudos to Andy Sawford, Philip Hollobone and Peter Bone for doing this.

It led me to thinking that people often complain about the NHS, about waiting lists and treatment received, but you seldom hear about the good things.

I’ve had some experience of local NHS treatment, both personally and through family members and friends, from the local GPs right through to specialist care at KGH or even further afield at the John Radcliffe in Oxford.

I have to say that the service we have received has been exemplary throughout.

Paramedics have been calm and reassuring; GPs have been helpful, referring when necessary; staff in A&E have been excellent despite working under extreme pressure; doctors and nurses at KGH and JRH have been thorough, courteous and professional at all times.

The Minor Injuries Unit in Corby is a fantastic facility for the town and surrounding villages; the Urgent Care Centre at Lakeside is great for out-of-hours emergencies; and the rehab unit at Thackley Green is ideal for helping elderly people readjust after being in hospital, in some cases for a substantial amount of time.  These are just some examples of those of which I have a little knowledge, there are many more.

Yes, unfortunately, sometimes things do go wrong in hospitals around the country, and these are the cases you hear about on the news and in the papers, but you don’t hear about the thousands of people that have good experiences and are helped by the NHS every day.  We need to remember how lucky we are to have this service and do what we can to safeguard its future.