NHS is Britain at its very best

Why staff are unsung heroes

THE NATIONAL Health Service of today is very different to the institution that emerged 70 years ago today in post-war austerity. Then, free care was a new phenomenon. Now medical staff are taken for granted.

In 1948, treatment for heart disease, and other common illnesses, was in its infancy. Now advances in medicine, and technology, mean conditions such as cancer are no longer a ‘death sentence’. And so it goes on.

Yet, while the NHS stands testament to the profound political, social and economic change that has taken place over the past seven decades, there has been one constant – the skill of its staff. Unsung heroes who represent Britain at its very best, they have maintained an unrivalled level of commitment – and good humour – and even more so when their job has been made more difficult by the decisionmaking of others.

From world-leading consultants to humble porters, cleaners and auxiliary staff who work unsociable hours to look after patients, and to keep hospitals clean, the NHS – and its 1,500 staff – are the personification of ‘teamwork’.

However, as their workload increases, the extra money promised by Theresa May’s government is only part of the solution if the NHS is to thrive in the future. The pre-announced £4bn a year boost will only be maximised if staff are treated with even more respect by the public – there’s no excuse or justification for some of the abused meted out by patients – and that the issue of recruitment, and retention, is properly addressed by NHS bureaucrats and politicians.

For, while Ministers are recognising the need to train a new generation of doctors and nurses, it’s imperative that they preside over a culture which encourages, rather than discourages, staff to serve the UK’s number one team and to continue doing their best for the people who matter most of all – their patients.