We would not have known much about St Barnabas Hospice in Lincoln had my mother not been diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas on Friday 18th June. It is a local charity which provides care for people in Lincolnshire who are living with a life-threatening illness. Whilst we were consistently let down by the shoddy systems in place to coordinate care in the NHS and really get to grips with her illness, we were simply amazed by the standards of care offered by MacMillan and St Barnabas staff. They are peerless. My parents celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary this summer. Sadly their celebration was dampened slightly by my mother’s illness. Their relationship, however, remained deep and robust. Indeed, my father’s devotion to my mother during her illness touched all who saw it. He barely slept for weeks. Because of the final outcome, he feels his efforts were hopeless – but, I want to say, on behalf of my sister and I, and other close family members, thank you for everything you did for her. No, you could not stop the cancer and its destruction but you did everything humanly possible to make her comfortable.