Today’s the day – the NHS Officially turns 70!
It’s 25,568 days since Aneurin Bevan launched the NHS at Park Hospital in Manchester. So much has changed in the intervening 70 years, but the NHS Core Principles are still as relevant and powerful today as ever.
To start the celebrations, local poet (and former patient) Terry Godwin – known as The Laughing Poet – performed a piece he’d written honouring the NHS’s 70 years. Inspired by Terry, staff, local students and even some patients took part in a special NHS70 photograph, really creating an image of the day to remember. After Terry had read his poem, he presented framed copies of two of his works to the Trust Chair, Patrick Boyle.
Later in the day, every ward and department across Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals Trust, and Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, received a special Tea Time Thank You hamper.
Supported by local companies, the hampers are a simple gesture to say Thank You to all of the staff throughout our hospitals for the work that they do in providing high quality patient care at every opportunity.
Throughout the day, the BSUH Charity supported the national Big 7 Tea event, marking the NHS’s 70th Birthday in the most British of ways – with a great cup of tea!
Today also saw the unveiling of the NHS 70th Birthday Boards, which will be available for patients, visitors and our staff to sign with their birthday messages to the NHS.
These boards can be found in the following locations, and everyone is invited to leave their messages of thanks, congratulations and support for the NHS on them:
- Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton – Foyer
- Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath – Foyer
- Worthing Hospital – Penguin Foyer
- St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester – Main Entrance
- Southlands Hospital, Shoreham – Main Entrance
Thank You to all of the staff throughout Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals Trust, our sister Western Sussex Hospitals Trust, and colleagues throughout the NHS for the outstanding work that you do each and every day.
If you have something you’d love to share about BSUH through the years, why not get into the NHS70 spirit on Twitter. Share your stories or pictures with us by Tweeting us directly (@BSUH_NHS) and using the hashtags #NHS70 and #BSUH.
Our Facebook page is also the perfect place to share your recollections of life at the Trust through the years.
