THIS YEAR sees the National Heath Service reach a very important anniversary as its marks 75 years in existence.
And in a column for The Correspondent, Angela Rayner MP toasts the people who make it so special to this country as she gets ready to honour the in Parliament.
THERE IS no doubt that the NHS is one of the UK’s most treasured institutions, having cared for us from the cradle to the grave for 75 years.
When it was founded in 1948, it was the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery.
Those principles remain as relevant, and valued, today as they did in the years after World War II.
Since then, the NHS has innovated and adapted to meet the needs of each successive generation, always putting patients at the heart of everything it does.
In recent times, having a single national health service enabled us to carry out research at an unprecedented scale during the pandemic and find the world’s first effective treatment for Covid-19, dexamethasone, making it available across every hospital the same day it was approved.
It enabled us to not just deliver the first accredited Covid-19 vaccine in the world but to rollout the NHS vaccine programme with a combination of speed and precision unseen elsewhere.
All these achievements have only been possible because of the skill, dedication and compassion of NHS staff, as well as the many volunteers, charities and communities that support the service.
These individuals who dedicate their working lives to supporting the most vulnerable in our society deserve to be honoured for their work, and there is no greater way to do this than at the NHS Parliamentary Awards.
I know how much the awards have meant to all those who have been nominated in previous years.
To have the skill, professionalism and compassion of the NHS recognised and celebrated is a huge boost for those nominated, as well as for their colleagues and organisations.
I am therefore delighted to announce that I will be participating in this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards to honour the extraordinary NHS and social care staff who work so tirelessly to care for us when we need them most.
Over the coming weeks I want to hear your stories about the individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond to ensure that you or your loved ones have received the best possible care when you have needed them most.
This year, there are 10 categories in the awards, covering everything from Primary and Community Care, to Mental Health Care to the NHS Rising Star Award. The deadline for nominations is April 24th.
Visit www.england.nhs.uk/nhsparliamentary-awards/how-to-nominate/ for more information.