MY six-months-old granddaughter recently contracted meningococcal meningitis and was treated at the Royal Infirmary and Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn. There has been a great deal in the news recently about this horrible, and often-deadly disease and its effects.

Unfortunately, it seems that, these days, people are only too willing to criticise the doctors and nurses involved when things do not go well.

Well, my story has a happy ending. In the lead-up to the events my little granddaughter had been poorly for a few weeks. Throughout the period and right up to the time of approaching the hospital, the symptoms did not lead anyone to the conclusion that this was meningitis.

Fortunately, we took took Stephanie to the hospital at 11pm on Wednesday, January 6, as she seemed to be deteriorating, despite the antibiotics prescribed. As my wife, daughter and partner all waited in the accident and emergency unit at Blackburn Infirmary with Stephanie, she began to convulse.

The medical staff were very quick and efficient. In minutes, Stephanie was being fed precautionary drugs through intravenous lines and the consultant rushed to the hospital from home.

Throughout the next few days we found the medical staff from both the accident and emergency unit and the children's medical unit to be not just highly skilled and professional, but caring and interested.

Stephanie is now home, fully recovered and back to her normal self. Through your pages we would like to thank the hospital staff and congratulate them on their professionalism.

PAUL HEALEY, Balmoral Road, Accrington.

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