ON December 7, some time after 12.20am I was at home upstairs and on my own when I suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the floor. Regaining consciousness for a time, I managed to get a phone out of my shirt pocket and call for help.

So I would like to thank the following: To the controller at ambulance headquarters who answered my phone call for help, talked to me as he arranged for an ambulance to get to me and the way he kept urging me to stay with him as I drifted in and out of consciousness until help arrived.

To the ambulance crew who used all their skills and expertise as they worked on me to keep me alive to enable them to get me to hospital in time.

To the police who not only gained access to our home, so that ambulance personnel could get to me and for the police escort to enable the ambulance to get from Hedge End to Southampton General Hospital in under eight minutes.

To the staff of the A&E department's resus department who fought so hard to save me, for their help skills and dedication to so many medical staff.

To the day and night doctors and nursing staff of coronary care ward for all your skill and patience in looking after me.

To the catering staff for all their enjoyable meals.

My thanks goes out to all the staff of the hospital unknown to me helped in so many ways behind the scenes.

To the doctors and staff of the Bitterne Health Centre.

To all my relatives and friends for all their help and support.

To my son and daughter for all their hard work, love and support and a special thank you to my wife Christine for all the love and extra effort she has put in to make sure that during my recovery that I do the things I should be doing and not the things I might want to do but can't or should not do.

So many people to help just one person.

And lastly just a thought! With the government intending to close down so many hospitals and their A&E departments, what does it matter? What equipment and staff these super hospitals have, if they cut back ambulance service crews with a seriously ill patient on board, their ambulance cannot get to these super hospitals in time.

HARRY SHATTOWER, Hedge End.