A pensioner has praised staff at Watford General after he saw a nurse sing an agitated patient to sleep.

Brian Jackson, 76, was rushed to the hospital by ambulance with breathing difficulties and a fever, and was admitted to the Acute Admissions Unit on January 29 this year.

Mr Jackson, from Berkhamsted, told West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust board: "The care and attention I received could not have been better had I paid for it.

"I was treated with kindness and respect by every member of staff. Everyone I came into contact with introduced themselves and what their role was, including the domestic staff."

He continued: "The food was amazing, the choice of menu, the way it was cooked and presented – all first class."

He also remarked on how clean the hospital ward was, saying they cleaned places you wouldn’t clean in your own home.

Mr Jackson then recounted how staff nurse Gloria John sang to a patient who had been agitated and unable to be comforted or calmed by other staff.

After a few minutes of singing to him, he was asleep. Mr Jackson said this was a classic case of staff "going the extra mile".

Professor Tracey Carter, chief nurse, said: "I would like to thank Mr Jackson for taking the trouble to write to Jac, and for coming along to our Board meeting to share his experience.

"The feedback we receive from our patients and their families is invaluable because it helps us continually improve the services we provide, and I know that everyone who heard Mr Jackson’s story learnt something from it."