We need to build on fantastic legacy of NHS

Dear Editor

On July 7 we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service.

It is a fantastic legacy, crafted and realised by the previous generation for the benefit of all to care for people from the ‘cradle to the grave’ whenever needed .

We cannot imagine what life would be like without this basic human right - healthcare based on need, not the ability to pay.

We can, however, look to USA to have some idea, yet can we really imagine how it would feel to be told, for example, you or your child had a life-threatening illness but denied treatment?

Seventy years is too long ago for many of us to have awareness of life before the NHS. Obviously, those of us who are 70 years or older came into a world pre-NHS, but for the majority, we have no idea the devastation brought about by things like measles, diptheria, or, what we today class as a ‘simple’ infection. People regularly died from ailments we don’t think twice about today.

I have had the privilege of a wonderful career in the NHS lasting 38 years and like the founding ethos of the NHS, I have cared for people across generations - from the ‘cradle to the grave’; working with adults, the elderly, in theatres, midwifery, neonatal intensive care and health visiting. My professional involvement with NHS is not over, as I currently have the position as non-executive director of NHS Forth Valley.

I have had the privilege of caring for people from all walks of life in many different circumstances. These experiences have shaped the person I am today.

I have worked with wonderful colleagues of various disciplines, along the way, each one showing dedication and compassion, while caring for many people; working the majority of my career in Scotland and for a time, I worked in England.

In Scotland, of course there are challenges, but the health of the Scottish NHS is far better than the NHS in England.

The NHS is a legacy given to us by the compassion and foresight of the previous generation. The NHS belongs to the nation, to us all. This wonderful inclusive organisation has been entrusted to this generation, to build on and improve for the future generations.

As our beloved NHS enters another decade, I wonder what the architects of the NHS would think if they were here today?

Councillor Susan McGill Scottish National Party Stirling North Ward