It is good to know that Oxford will have some celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the NHS, and that the Lord Mayor, Susanna Pressel, will launch a book, to be available at the Town Hall tomorrow for several weeks, for people to insert their good experiences of the health service.

While thousands of us from day to day experience remarkable treatment from caring staff, it is distressing that so often we hear in the news only the grim stories where, in spite of all the successes, one case may have gone wrong.

So, welcome to the idea of recording the good experiences for a change.

In Oxford, we are particularly well served.

I and my very elderly friends and colleagues almost always receive excellent attention and treatment, whether at GP level or at hospital.

We see immense advances in technology and it is not surprising that expenditure has hugely increased over the decades. I have been especially impressed by the developments in preventive care.

For today's elderly - most living longer than previous generations - there is the Fall Clinic, then the Balance Clinic, where we exercise to win back confidence and steady walking.

There follows long and continuous medication to prevent serious osteoporosis when falls are likely to result in broken bones, requiring a long stay in hospital.

I hope people will record their good experiences and appreciation in the book at the Town Hall.

MARGARET STANTON Charles Ponsonby House Osberton Road Oxford