• Two staff members with their arms round each others' shoulders, smiling at the camera during our NHS 75 breakfast. One of them is holding an NHS 75 mug

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • A group of staff smiling and posing for a photo at our NHS 75 breakfast

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • A photo of eight female staff members smiling at the camera for a group photo, inside the tent at our NHS 75 breakfast. Some of them are wearing nursing uniforms.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Matthew Trainer sat behind his keyboard, smiling at the camera, while the Pfizer Chiefs perform at our NHS 75 brunch.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • A woman wearing sunglasses and a dress stands behind a chair, smiling at something off camera. Behind her, staff sit at large circular tables and are eating and drinking together.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Candid photo of three colleagues sat at a table eating food and laughing together.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • A wide shot with lots of staff at tables in the marquee for our afternoon tea. In the foreground, a man wearing glasses is looking at the camera and gives a thumb up gesture.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Dozens of staff at the afternoon tea stand with their arms in the air. They are doing the YMCA and are doing the Y.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Staff perform a massive conga, which snakes between the tables during afternoon tea.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • The Pfizer Chiefs performing on stage at the evening party.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Staff in the crowd at the evening party dancing and smiling

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • The Pfizer Chiefs are joined on stage by other staff who are taking part in karaoke. The stage looks red due to the lighting, and the crowd in the foreground are all looking up at the stage.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • NHS 75 family fun event 6

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Staff and their families at our family fun day at KGH

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • NHS 75 family fun event 1

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Dozens of people, including Matthew Trainer, wearing blue at the NHS 75 parkrun at Raphael Park in Romford. At the front are two blue banners with the NHS logo that say

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • A large conga line of staff in the marquee during the afternoon tea at Queen's Hospital.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • A large group of staff gathered closely together for a photo. All of them are smiling at the camera.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Children in the teacups ride at the family fun day.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

  • Spiderman and Elsa from Frozen smile for a photo with children in a grassy field at our family fun day.

    NHS 75

    We marked the NHS's 75th birthday with a series of celebratory events for our staff.

NHS 75

Wednesday 5 July 2023 marked 75 years of the National Health Service and we spent the week celebrating with our staff, their families, and our local community.

Around 5,200 staff and family members attended events across our hospitals to thank them for their hard work and to celebrate this milestone, and we were thrilled to involve so many of our colleagues and show them how much we value them.

Read more about how we marked NHS 75 below.

Our NHS 75 events

We started with a careers fair in the marquee at Queen's Hospital. Almost 500 pupils from local schools and colleges attended to learn more about the many opportunities available at our Trust.

The feedback, which has been positive, included this message from a teacher: “We wanted to thank everyone who has been part of arranging the careers fair as my students really enjoyed it and learned a lot from the experience. My students have come back aspiring to work in the NHS in certain fields. I hope there will be similar events next year - thank you.”

After welcoming 480 students from our local community yesterday as part of #NHS75 we are honoured to have a video message from @wesstreeting as he speaks about the diverse range of careers in the NHS and how you can get involved! Visit our website to find out more! @BHRUT_NHSpic.twitter.com/IZ5XZaviq8

— BHRUT Career Maps (@bhr_CareerMaps) June 30, 2023

That was followed by a suppliers event where our amazing sponsors, without whom our NHS 75 celebrations wouldn't have been possible, showcased their products.

On Wednesday 5 July, the big day itself, we hosted a debate titled “What will the NHS look like when it turns 100?”

Led by our Chair Jacqui Smith, the discussion heard from a top-class panel made up of local and national experts. Our staff also hosted interactive stalls that showed how much the NHS has changed over the past 75 years.

On Thursday 6 July, we hosted hundreds more local schoolchildren for another education and careers fair.

On Friday 7 July we had a packed day of celebrations, starting with breakfast at Queen’s Hospital. Staff coming to work mingled with those just finishing their night shifts to enjoy a hearty breakfast.

Then the fun moved to King George Hospital where staff were treated to three lunch sittings, with entertainment from our very own Pfizer Chiefs, a staff band including Matthew Trainer, our CEO, and Alan Wishart, our Director of Workforce and a founding member of 80s Scottish rock band Big Country.

There was music and dancing at a lively afternoon tea event at Queen’s Hospital, which also included performances from Bollywood dancers and our own staff choir, Sound of Pride. Then Queen’s also hosted an evening party, which included another rousing performance from the Pfizer Chiefs, who invited brave colleagues up to join them for a karaoke session.

Staff at our evening party event

On Saturday 8 July, lots of our staff came together to take part in a special ‘parkrun for the NHS’, in matching blue t-shirts, before colleagues and their loved ones enjoyed a family fun day.

Held at King George Hospital, it included entertainment for everyone with fairground rides, competitions, and treats including ice cream and candy floss – and even the rain showers couldn’t put a dampener on the fun families were having together.

NHS 75 family fun event 1 NHS 75 family fun event 2 NHS 75 family fun event 3

 

Videos from our events

A look back at our NHS 75 staff celebrations

Breakfast, brunch, and afternoon tea

Evening party

Family fun day

NHS 75 panel debate

Celebrating our staff

To celebrate the NHS turning 75, we’re sharing the stories of some of our longest serving team members.

Sandra Mahoney, our lead nurse for surgery

Davina Yeomans, our play worker

Janet Copp, our haematology specialist nurse

Congratulations to Debbie Wickens, who was shortlisted in the NHS 75 photography competition.

parkrun

As part of its 75th anniversary, the NHS also teamed up with parkrun UK to host ‘parkrun for the NHS’ on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July.

Dozens of members of staff ran at our local parkruns, including the group below at Rafael Park in Romford.

Matthew Trainer at a parkrun in Romford

And it wasn't just our local park runs that our staff took part in!

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