I was recently in Grace Hospital on Cheyne Road for a hip replacement and am taking this opportunity to convey my gratitude publicly.

Over my four-day stay the standard of medical and nursing care I received was first class in every respect. My surgeon Mr Vaughan Poutawera's reassuring manner and genuine empathy both before and after surgery was matched by that of the nurses who cared for me.

I also felt really listened to and whenever I had questions, straight answers were forthcoming. This attitude was matched by physios, kitchen staff and even cleaners. The food was restaurant quality and as good as any meal you would pay for on The Strand or Maunganui Road.

In my opinion Grace Hospital sets the bar for healthcare delivery in New Zealand and were the public system to replicate it, even in terms of staff to patient ratios, we would be less likely to see nurses strikes.

Grace nurses feel valued and certainly from what I saw they are a happy group of workers whose employer looks after them. That filters down to patients as on leaving it felt more like saying goodbye to a group of friends than coming out of hospital.

Thank you Grace team – you totally rock!

A Rogers, Tauranga Central.