SIR - Late Easter Sunday morning I fainted in the church at Gilstead, Bingley, luckily I was among 50 caring Christians rather than home alone.

A NHS ambulance arrived quite quickly and whilst I regained partial consciousness I felt I was floating on clouds, that turned out beneficial as the medical team attached an ECG machine to me and gathered vital evidence that I was experiencing a “blocker” event due to my heart’s electrical circuit malfunctioning.

On the BRI cardiac ward before 3pm and was greeted by the magic words from a staff nurse, “Don’t worry Mr Chapman, we know what is wrong and how to fix it.”

Monday the senior doctor fully explained my situation and that a pace maker should correct my problem. On Tuesday morning he said there was chance my operation might be late that day, using the ward theatre and local anaesthetic. I went into theatre at 4:15 pm and out at 4:45pm.

Stayed over a third night, tested and X-rayed Wednesday morning, passed muster, handed demob papers and home for tea.

Scurrilous rumours circulated by the Labour Party that the Coalition’s well run NHS is dead are exaggerated!

Alan Chapman, Beck Lane, Bingley