NHS 75

5 July 2023 marks 75 years of the National Health Service. NHS logo

Treating over a million people a day in England, the NHS touches all of our lives. When it was founded in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery. Today, nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone, and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British.

The NHS has always innovated and adapted to meet to needs of each generation. 75 years on, the NHS’s founding principles remain as relevant today as they were then. Despite the challenges, the public still overwhelmingly support having a national health service, and it is what makes our people most proud to be British.

As we mark 75 years of the NHS, it is a time to celebrate our past, but more importantly, a time to think about a future where we continue to put patients first. We want to take this opportunity to thank all NHS staff and volunteers, past and present, who have made the organisation what it is.

Celebrating 75 years of the NHS

At Mid Yorkshire, we want to celebrate the hard work and $Pontefract General Infirmary seen in 1969.$ commitment of NHS staff - as well as inspire more people to work for the NHS.

We will be reflecting on the history, achievements and looking ahead to the future. Approaching this significant milestone, we will take the opportunity to celebrate and showcase our staff and our achievements and join in with NHS 75 activities.

Pontefract General Infirmary seen in 1969.

Celebrating 75 years of Windrush

NHS 75 nurses

On 22 June 1948, HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK, carrying over 1,000 passengers from the West Indies.

Photo of HMT Empire Windrush dated 28/03/54 (PA) Mainly former service personnel, this was the first wave of post war immigration with many of the passengers taking up roles in the NHS, which launched just two weeks later.

The journey of the early Black and minority ethnic colleagues in the NHS, and in British society, was not an easy one. Faced with overt racism, discrimination and public outcry, they were not always welcome. The same experiences were faced by those who followed over the next few decades.

Today, ethnic minority colleagues make up almost a quarter of the NHS workforce and 42% of medical staff.

As part of our plans to mark the NHS’s 75^th birthday, we are celebrating the 75^th anniversary of Windrush and diversity of the NHS workforce. From the Windrush generation of 1948, the south Asian arrivals in the 1960s and 70s, to today’s workforce which currently represents over 200 nationalities.

Commenting on the anniversary, Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, said:

“The 75^th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of our Black and other ethnic minority colleagues and their significant contributions to the National Health Service, which is also marking its 75^th year.

From 1948 to today, the NHS has always welcomed talent from around the world. Many of the new arrivals’ contributions to the health service helped to create a new and free health care system for all. They were critical to the formation of the NHS, and I am honoured to work alongside their descendants and generations that followed in their footsteps.”

For more information about planned events, keep an eye on our events page.

park run for NHS 75

The NHS is teaming up with parkrun to invite them to host a parkrun for a NHS 75 celebration on Saturday 8 July, and at the junior parkrun events for children aged 4-14 on Sunday 9 July.

parkrun takes place every Saturday morning where people all over the world walk, jog or run 5km around their local park. We would love you to help celebrate the NHS turning 75 by joining in and making it a day to remember by wearing NHS blue or fancy dress. Be as creative as you like, post your pic to social media and use the hashtags #MidYorksNHS and #NHS75.

There are around 1,180 parkrun UK events to choose from, including in Pontefract, Dewsbury and Wakefield. Find your nearest parkrun here. You only need to sign up once beforehand to get your personalised barcode before attending as a participant or volunteer.

park run

NHS 75 Fujifilm competition

Our NHS at 75: Telling your stories through the lens Fujifilm competition

NHS England, in partnership with Fujifilm, launched a national photography competition to mark 75 years of the NHS.

The competition gave an opportunity for staff and volunteers to share – through photos – their unique stories across five categories.

These categories include;

Our people – This category recognises the individuals and teams that make up who we are.
Our innovations – This category celebrates innovation across the NHS in all its forms – from cutting edge treatments to pioneering ways of delivering care.
Our environment – This category explores NHS grounds and buildings – indoors and out – and how individuals, teams and communities are working together to integrate sustainability into what we do.
Our care – This category will capture that core value – whether that is the care we provide our patients, or to each other as colleagues.
Our partners – This category is to celebrate the crucial role those partnerships play in helping us deliver the best possible care for patients.

Entries have been judged by a star-studded panel including This Morning’s resident GP Dr Ellie, award winning journalist Victoria Macdonald, eminent photographer Lewis Khan, Dr Habib Naqvi MBE, Fujifilm’s Theo Georghiades and Chief Nursing Officer for England, Dame Ruth May.

The winning photos, along with 70 commended entries, will be displayed in a dedicated exhibition in Fujifilm’s House of Photography in London during July and August, opening on 4 July. The 5 winners will also have their photo displayed at the NHS’s 75^th anniversary service at Westminster Abbey on 5 July.

For more information and to see the photos visit: www.nhs75-fujifilm.com

Chief Nursing Officer for England, Dame Ruth May said:

“The NHS can do nothing without its incredible workforce – it is thanks to the skill and dedication of hundreds of thousands of staff and volunteers that the NHS is the much loved institution that it is today.

“Joining the NHS is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and, as we mark the 75th year of the NHS, this competition provides an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary skill and diversity of NHS staff and volunteers.

“I’m delighted to be a judge and I am looking forward to seeing all the entries which celebrate and look back on 75 years of the NHS.”

Victoria Macdonald, Health and Social Care Editor for Channel 4 News said:

“The NHS treats over a million people a day and, whilst under pressure, it’s clear that the public still firmly value the fundamental principles of the NHS.

“Over the past few years, we have seen NHS staff and volunteers at their very best but now we will see the health service through their eyes – through the prism of the lens – giving a powerful insight into their lives and their work. It is a privilege to be involved in this competition.”

Tom Watanabe, Managing Director of FUJIFILM UK Limited, said:

“With Fujifilm’s founding heritage in photography, we know how powerful photos are in telling stories – and having applied this expertise to now be an industry leader in healthcare, our teams have seen but a handful of the incredible stories from within our health service. We are privileged to partner with the NHS, its staff and volunteers, to bring these perspectives to the forefront as we all come together to celebrate its 75th birthday.”

Our NHS at 75: Mid Yorkshire shares stories through the lens

We are proud to share that we have three fantastic enteries that were shortlisted for the Our Care, Our People, Our Environment categories.

Our Care - Zahra Makada

Lewis, Project SEARCH

Lewis, Project SEARCH
Lewis is a porter in the Radiology department. He came to us via Project SEARCH; a transition work programme commited to transforming the lives of young adults with learning disabilities.

Our People - David Enyori

Chatting while working

Chatting while working
Canteen staff sorting cutlery at Dewsbury Hospital.

Our Environment - Stacey Camp

Biodiversity
Pinderfields Hospital site boasts a huge amount of green space, including wildlife areas, natural paths and well-kept gardens designed with pollinators in mind. Here, an early bumblebee buisly travels from bloom to bloom, with Pinderfields Hospitals building visible in the background.

Mid Yorkshire innovation stories

As we look back at the last 75 years if patient care by the NHS, it is important to celebrate the successes that constant innovation has enabled.

Innovation has delivered workforce developments, technological achievements and pioneering techniques, as well as exciting opportunities to advance patient care. The Covid-19 pandemic also saw rapid and innovative advancements.

Good news stories

At Mid Yorkshire, we want to celebrate the hard work and commitment of NHS staff - as well as inspire more people to work for the NHS.

As we mark 75 years of the NHS, we look back on the achievements of our organisation, as well as looking ahead to the opportunities we have to shape the future.

75 years on, the NHS continues to innovate and adapt to meet the needs of new generations, always putting patients at the heart of everything it does.

Read our good news stories here

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