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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Alfred Banya, Head of Chaplaincy at King's College Hospital in London

75th NHS Anniversary – Challenges and achievements of the 75 year old NHS

Good morning.

As we mark the 75th Anniversary of the NHS, my mind turns to the challenges and achievements of all the healthcare workers. As a hospital chaplain, I see on a daily basis how nurses and doctors work tirelessly to look after the sick and to support the relatives. This was particularly evident during the Covid pandemic. I saw many of the staff struggle with the tension between caring for their patients and turning visitors away because of fear of the virus. Yet they soldiered on, perhaps in the same spirit as the pioneer workers of the NHS did during its early days, not being certain what the future held.

We salute the diverse and dedicated staff that worked then and continue to do so now drawn from within the country and from many parts of the world . We thank those who came over in the early days from the Caribbean and from various Commonwealth countries and provided invaluable help. Despite this many challenges, the NHS remains the envy of many people across the world mainly because it has so far retained its principle of providing health care to all based on health need and not on ability to pay. This is a rare quality that we often forget amidst our concerns about resource allocation and the increasing demand on health care services.

Important though these problems are, they must not divert us from celebrating the uniqueness and the achievements of the NHS.

In gratitude. Oh merciful creator bless our NHS and all those who work in it. And all who are called to train and practice the art of healing the sick and preventing disease and pain. May they continue to give comfort to all those who need their help.

Amen.