Reverend Richard Coles, co-presenter of Saturday Live recalls highlights of the 'Thank You' segment where listeners call into BBC Radio 4 to show their appreciation. He writes:

"One of my favourites was a very recent call: from a man [Dr Rami Seth] who had been in intensive care with a life-threatening condition and about as miserable as you can be, although he was no longer in immediate danger. Able, at last, to think beyond the horizon of mere survival and with his appetite returning, he realised he had a tremendous desire for a piece of toast. Not much to ask for, you might think, but in fact it was, because hospital regulations forbade the deployment of a toaster in intensive care.

A piece of white bread with an icy pat of unspreadable butter on its yielding crumb arrived; better than nothing, but not what he wanted, or so he told the nurse on duty. And she, without making any fuss, went off to a staff kitchen and returned with a slice of toast, done to a turn, spread with butter, just beginning to melt into its golden perfection, and made a miserable patient for a moment blissfully happy.

It was a lovely story and lots of listeners responded, one of them not to us but direct to that nurse, Rosie, whom she’d recognised. Rosie got in touch with the programme and we were able, for the first time so far, to hear not only from the recipient, but from the doer of a good deed. It was great to talk to her, not only because it completed the story, but because it reminded us that the NHS is full of people like Rosie who, day by day, through simple kindness and thoughtfulness, can make an enormous difference to people who are struggling. And – as she noted – we need to hear that, when so much of what we hear about the NHS is bad."

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