Today (Wednesday, 5 July), the NHS is marking 75 years since it began.
Since the NHS was founded on 5 July 1948, it has always innovated and adapted to meet to needs of each generation. When it was founded in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery. 75 years on, the NHS’s founding principles remain as relevant today as they were then.
Despite the challenges, the public still overwhelmingly support having a national health service, and it is what makes people most proud of our country. As we mark 75 years of the NHS, it is a time to celebrate our past, but more importantly, a time to think about the future.
At The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT), our teams are proud to care for patients or support those who provide care, with extraordinary dedication. The 75th birthday of the NHS is now an opportunity to reflect on the achievements over the decades, to say thank you to our amazing people, and to look ahead.
We are holding a virtual event for our people with an opportunity to look back on developments over the years, with changes in technology and working practice. Additionally, the speakers will discuss their experiences and what PAHT means to them. Colleagues will also be focusing on this through special features and videos, together with sharing photos of our people and The Princess Alexandra Hospital, St Margaret’s Hospital and Herts and Essex Hospital across the years.
PAHT has changed significantly since its official opening ceremony on 27 April 1965, attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (pictured, above right). We have seen the implementation of many procedures and treatments that are now a mainstay of the work of a modern acute hospital. This includes computerised tomography (CT) scanners, which were first used in the UK in 1972.
The hospital was established as The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in April 1995, providing services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping. In the years since the hospital first opened, it has undergone modernisation and development, including many additions.
Full funding for a new, state-of-the-art hospital for Harlow has now been confirmed by the Government as part of a major funding package for NHS hospitals in England. The new Princess Alexandra Hospital will be a world-class healthcare facility for the local area. It will provide the best place to work for our people and deliver first-rate care for our patients – transforming health outcomes and addressing health inequality in the growing and ageing local population.
Lance McCarthy, chief executive, said: “It is fantastic to mark this special occasion for the NHS together at PAHT.
“I am proud of the commitment of our amzing people across the years to support our patients – thank you.
“This is a great opportunity to reflect on our progress and to look ahead to our future.”