Wednesday 5 July 2023 marked 75 years of the National Health Service and we spent the week celebrating with our staff, their families, and our local community.
Around 5,200 staff and family members attended events across our hospitals to thank them for their hard work and to celebrate this milestone, and we were thrilled to involve so many of our colleagues and show them how much we value them.
Read more about how we marked NHS 75 below.
We started with a careers fair in the marquee at Queen's Hospital. Almost 500 pupils from local schools and colleges attended to learn more about the many opportunities available at our Trust.
The feedback, which has been positive, included this message from a teacher: “We wanted to thank everyone who has been part of arranging the careers fair as my students really enjoyed it and learned a lot from the experience. My students have come back aspiring to work in the NHS in certain fields. I hope there will be similar events next year - thank you.”
After welcoming 480 students from our local community yesterday as part of #NHS75 we are honoured to have a video message from @wesstreeting as he speaks about the diverse range of careers in the NHS and how you can get involved! Visit our website to find out more! @BHRUT_NHSpic.twitter.com/IZ5XZaviq8
— BHRUT Career Maps (@bhr_CareerMaps) June 30, 2023
That was followed by a suppliers event where our amazing sponsors, without whom our NHS 75 celebrations wouldn't have been possible, showcased their products.
On Wednesday 5 July, the big day itself, we hosted a debate titled “What will the NHS look like when it turns 100?”
Led by our Chair Jacqui Smith, the discussion heard from a top-class panel made up of local and national experts. Our staff also hosted interactive stalls that showed how much the NHS has changed over the past 75 years.
On Thursday 6 July, we hosted hundreds more local schoolchildren for another education and careers fair.
On Friday 7 July we had a packed day of celebrations, starting with breakfast at Queen’s Hospital. Staff coming to work mingled with those just finishing their night shifts to enjoy a hearty breakfast.
Then the fun moved to King George Hospital where staff were treated to three lunch sittings, with entertainment from our very own Pfizer Chiefs, a staff band including Matthew Trainer, our CEO, and Alan Wishart, our Director of Workforce and a founding member of 80s Scottish rock band Big Country.
There was music and dancing at a lively afternoon tea event at Queen’s Hospital, which also included performances from Bollywood dancers and our own staff choir, Sound of Pride. Then Queen’s also hosted an evening party, which included another rousing performance from the Pfizer Chiefs, who invited brave colleagues up to join them for a karaoke session.
On Saturday 8 July, lots of our staff came together to take part in a special ‘parkrun for the NHS’, in matching blue t-shirts, before colleagues and their loved ones enjoyed a family fun day.
Held at King George Hospital, it included entertainment for everyone with fairground rides, competitions, and treats including ice cream and candy floss – and even the rain showers couldn’t put a dampener on the fun families were having together.
To celebrate the NHS turning 75, we’re sharing the stories of some of our longest serving team members.
Sandra Mahoney, our lead nurse for surgery
Davina Yeomans, our play worker
Janet Copp, our haematology specialist nurse
Congratulations to Debbie Wickens, who was shortlisted in the NHS 75 photography competition.
As part of its 75th anniversary, the NHS also teamed up with parkrun UK to host ‘parkrun for the NHS’ on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July.
Dozens of members of staff ran at our local parkruns, including the group below at Rafael Park in Romford.
And it wasn't just our local park runs that our staff took part in!
Repping @BHRUT_NHS at a rainy Somerset @osfparkrun pic.twitter.com/zICyPVLByI
— Katherine (@kat_bing) July 8, 2023
