Care home residents reminisce about founding of the NHS

Founding of the NHS

The NHS was founded on 5 July 1948 with the aim of providing free healthcare to everyone regardless of their income. Many care home residents can still remember that day and reminisce about how the NHS changed people’s lives for the better in the UK.

Within two years of founding the NHS, Aneurin Bevan opened the first NHS hospital in Manchester.

Before the National Health Service, people in the UK had to pay to visit a doctor or the hospital. Many were left in debt or with no access to quality healthcare.

Over the years, the NHS which was the first of its kind in the world, has delivered huge medical advances. This includes the world’s first IVF test-tube baby born in 1978, the world’s first liver, heart and lung transplant in 1987. In more recent times, the NHS pioneered the world’s first rapid whole genome sequencing service for seriously ill babies and children.

Care home residents reminisce about the NHS

She said: “Now when I see the NHS it seems to be struggling and I find that sad. I still receive very good treatment and the staff are excellent, but you hear that they’re struggling with staff shortages, or that they’re unable to treat people the way they want them to. That is very sad.”

‘I want to see improvements to the NHS’

Doris Chavasse, aged 100, a resident at Royal Star & Garter Solihull care home, said:

“I remember there being very long queues to be seen because everyone thought everything was going to be free from the NHS.

“I remember when I was in my 60s going in for an operation and the NHS was amazing. They had matrons on the hospital rounds. I was treated fabulously. It was so different to a recent admission I had. It had changed a lot, and not for the better and I found that very sad. I want to see improvements to the NHS. I really hope the problems they have now can be resolved.”

‘We are very lucky to have access to this amazing service‘

88-year-old Brenda Reed, who lives at Rivendell View care home in Stoke Bardolph, shared her memories of working in the NHS for over 40 years in honour of the service’s 75^th anniversary.

She said: “I’m particularly proud of my work as a midwife, delivering the babies of a new generation. It felt very special to see how they developed, and watch midwifery evolve over the years.

“I then worked as a Night Sister back in Nottingham covering five wards for about a year. It was more convenient for my family life at the time.

“After about a year, I decided to retrain as a health visitor for our local GP, covering vaccinations and visiting families in their own homes. I did that until I retired at 58 to take care of my own family.

“I really enjoyed working in the NHS, I think that the service they provide is second to none. As a nation, I feel we are very lucky to have access to this amazing service.”

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