NHS chief executive Simon Stevens has today sent a message of “heartfelt thanks” to staff on the health service’s 70th anniversary, saying that the NHS’s enduring success is down to their “brilliance”.
In the message shared on the NHS’s birthday, Simon paid tribute to the achievements of 1.5 million doctors, nurses, ambulance staff, therapists, porters, caterers and countless others who, along with volunteers and those working behind the scenes make up the biggest care team in the world.
In his message Simon said: “Today we’re marking the 70th birthday of the National Health Service. It’s a time for celebration looking back over seven decades when we’re all living a lot longer and healthier – more than 10 years extra.
“We’ve seen amazing medical advances, whether it’s organ transplantations or new cures for cancer or vaccines.
“But the reason why the Health Service does so well is frankly due to the brilliance of the staff.”
Simon’s message, filmed in an ambulance control room, came as the country prepared to mark 70 years since the birth of the NHS on July 5, 1948.