Happy 73rd Birthday NHS : Medals Don't Pay Bills

 

 The NHS today marks its 73rd birthday as it continues to work through a mammoth backlog amid staff shortages, following more than a year of unprecedented challenges and disruption due to the pandemic. Nye Bevans legacy came into the world 73 years ago this morning, then Minister of Health in Attlee’s post-war government, when he opened Park Hospital in Manchester at a time of rationing and shortages, when we were nearly bankrupt, a jewel  that the war generation left us with, a proud legacy, for us to all to continue to share.For the first-time doctors, nurses, opticians, dentists and pharmacists all worked under one organisation. It was a ray of hope in that bleak time, and it remains one today. The creation of the NHS in 1948 was the product of years of hard work and a motivation from various figures who felt the current healthcare system was insufficient and needed to be revolutionised..

Born in 1948 to a post-war Britain amidst the rubble of war,and a skeptical medical profession, the NHS has had its ups and downs over the years. However, its role and importance as a symbol of our Britishness and intense pride in being able to provide universal care, free at the point of delivery, from the cradle to the grave, has remained throughout, out of the belief that healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth,with health and care as priorities – not profit, .these ideals remains one of the NHS’s core principles.

 

 

 

Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Health, on the first day of the National Health Service, 5 July 1948 at Park Hospital, Davyhulme, near Manchester. 

These ideas can be traced back to the early 1900s with the Minority Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Law in 1909. The report was headed by the socialist Beatrice Webb who argued that a new system was needed to replace the antiquated ideas of the Poor Law which was still in existence from the times of the workhouses in the Victorian era. Those who were involved in the report believed it was a narrow-minded approach from those in charge to expect those in poverty to be entirely accountable for themselves. Despite the strong arguments provided in the report, it still proved unsuccessful and many ideas were disregarded by the new Liberal government.
Nevertheless, more and more people were beginning to speak out and be proactive, including Dr Benjamin Moore, a Liverpool physician who had great foresight and a pioneering vision of the future in healthcare. His ideas were written in “The Dawn of the Health Age” and he was probably one of the first to use the phrase ‘National Health Service’. His ideas led him to create the State Medical Service Association which held its first meeting in 1912. It would be another thirty years before his ideas would feature in the Beveridge Plan for the NHS.
Before the creation of the NHS or anything like it, when someone found themselves needing a doctor or to use medical facilities, patients were generally expected to pay for those treatments. In some cases local authorities ran hospitals for the local ratepayers, an approach originating with the Poor Law. By 1929 the Local Government Act amounted to local authorities running services which provided medical treatment for everyone. On 1st April 1930 the London County Council then took over responsibility for around 140 hospitals, medical schools and other institutions after the abolition of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. By the time the Second World War broke out, the London Council was running the largest public service of its kind for healthcare.
Today, we have a lot to thank the NHS for; from the introduction of polio and diphtheria vaccinations to all under 15-year olds to the success of smoking cessation services and cancer screening services, the NHS has been instrumental in many of the medical achievements the UK has seen over the last 73 years.a shining example of what separates us from the US. It offered for the first time a free healthcare system for all, and has since  played a vital role in caring for all aspects of our nations health. It has been the envy of the world ever since. Remember we paid for it, so it is owned by us, it is our precious commodity, it must survive, we must tear the vultures hands from it.
It wouldn’t be possible to run a 7-day NHS, caring for millions of people day-in-day-out without the hard work and dedication of its staff. Despite all the adversity that’s thrown at them: poor pay, bursary cuts, hospital parking fines and staff shortages to name a few; they continue to become stronger and relentlessly deliver fantastic healthcare to the nation .

 The NHS  here in Wales employs close to 72,000 staff which makes it Wales’ biggest employer. I can never forget the compassion they gave to a dear departed, the staff always managing to keep her spirits high, never once showing any dereliction of care.  At the moment dedicated, compassionate staff  are under increased pressure, leading to low morale. Recent figures have emerged that 2/4s of hospitals have been warned about dangerous staff shortages. We are now standing at a precipice: the NHS has been severely damaged by underfunding and privatisation .

Today the Queen has awarded the UK’s highest accolade for heroism to NHS workers to mark more than 70 years of public service as she praised their efforts during the pandemic.

In a personal handwritten note, Her Majesty awarded the George Cross to all healthcare staff who have carried out their work ‘with courage, compassion and dedication’.

It is only the third time in history that the George Cross has been awarded to a collective body, country or organisation instead of an individual.

The award was instituted by King George VI on September 24 1940 during the height of the Blitz, and is granted in recognition of ‘acts of the greatest heroism or of the most courage in circumstances of extreme danger’.

It can only be awarded by The Queen and is made on the advice of the George Cross Committee and the Prime Minister.

In her message, on Windsor Castle-headed paper, the Queen wrote: ‘It is with great pleasure, on behalf of a grateful nation, that I award the George Cross to the National Health Services of the United Kingdom.

‘This award recognises all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four nations.

The Queen wrote a note on Windsor Castle headed paper to all NHS staff

 

The Queen thanked healthcare workers for their ‘courage, compassion and dedication’

‘Over more than seven decades, and especially in recent times, you have supported the people of our country with courage, compassion and dedication, demonstrating the highest standards of public service. ‘You have our enduring thanks and heartfelt appreciation.’

 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge  attended a thanksgiving service in its honour at St Paul’s Cathedral  alongside Boris Johnson and a celebratory tea party at Buckingham Palace.

Bojo also shared several pictures on Twitter which showed him meeting NHS workers, volunteers and charity workers on what he called “Thank You Day”.

He said: “This evening I had the opportunity to meet and thank some of the fantastic people who have gone above and beyond to support others throughout the pandemic, including NHS workers, volunteers and charity leaders.” Just another photo op, giving Bojo the chance to dress up and pretend to be involved with people, an insult to these brave people many of whom work in the NHS and have been denied a pay rise while his rotten government has lied, broken rules and squandered money,

I'm  sure all the staff are absolutely delighted. NOT!  It;s all rather patronising Here's a bloody medal while my family live in luxury.It's such a meaningless empty gesture  and unless Bojo  pays nurses, care workers and health staff a decent wage it means nothing. Medals like claps and badges are useless when it comes  to paying bills.  Such recognition of the debt owed to health workers 16 months into a deadly pandemic rings hollow given ministers’ refusal to concede a proper raise after a decade of shrinking pay packets.

The official NHS anniversary celebrations are nothing more than a propaganda stunt. Some photo-friendly public ceremonies studded with royalty are meant to imply that this institution — possibly the last widely trusted institution in the country, given the way the reputations of Parliament, police, the City, the media and more have been shredded by successive scandals — is above politics, cherished by all, Conservative politicians included. Actually the health service has been systematically undermined by successive governments.

Since the passing of the Health and Social Care Act in 2012 by the Tory-LibDem coalition Government, the NHS in England has been forced down a route of increased marketisation.The Government has accelerated its aggressive outsourcing to private firms during the Covid pandemic. And we are talking about serious amounts of money.

£10 billion on block-booking private hospital beds instead of building NHS capacity

£37billion for a track and trace system that the Public Accounts Committee said had ‘no clear evidence’ of curbing transmission of the virus. That has given out 600 million tests they have no idea where they are. That pays an average of £1000 a day for ‘consultants’.

Vast amounts spent on useless PPE. Contracts let without proper procurement processes. Contracts kept secret. Contracts where the Health Minister was found to have acted unlawfully.

As the Tory's and their rotten hearts seek to dismantle it,  we should not forget Nye's words who said ' It will last as long as their are folk with enough faith to fight for it. We  cannot reach the day again where people make a profit out of our sickness. The NHS is a shining example of how a caring society can create  good and safe care based on social solidarity., making such a great contribution towards social and health equality.  A beacon to the world. And the greatest example of Socialism in action and the basic decency and fairness of our labour movement.

Thank you  NHS to all the staff for their tireless work , especially  over the last 16 months who have once again highlighted their strength, professionalism , humanity, dedication and bravery in the most challenging and unpromising circumstances.y on the frontline, have risked their lives to treat Covid patients. hundreds have died from the virus, and many more are suffering long-term effects. NHS workers have also helped to administer  79 million jabs and have treated 204,00 seriously ill Covid hospital patients alone, often in sweltering hot  PPE. It is truly inspiring to see how amazing the staff handled the awful situation and it was a testament to every healthcare worker throughout the UK. They  are a credit to our nation and we couldn’t be more proud. to all of those who have worked and who are still working tirelessly to provide the best care to over 64 million people in the UK.

The NHS is currently in real danger, under attack from those that want to privatise it, run it down and fragment it now more than ever and we can't allow this to happen.With American plutocrats turning their eyes on the NHS,it's more important than ever to that we continue to defend it with all we've got. It is not now or any day for sale. Today, and everyday, we must keep fighting to protect this most special institution and the people working within it.

Now the government should  put its hand in its pocket and give these brave souls in the NHS a decent pay increase above inflation then  to properly say thank you for all their hard work and dedication to their jobs during this pandemic. A 1% increase is a measly  pathetic offer and needs to be increased.It's not OK that NHS staff like nurses are resorting to food banks to get by and a bloody George Cross won't stop staff from leaving , a great birthday gift that would prevent them  would be to: Fund it properly, Improve working conditions for staff, Give NHS workers the 15% pay rise  they truly deserve.