NHS at 60

The newborn NHS, unveiled by its proud father Health Minister Nye Bevan at Park Hospital in Davyhulme, was at the time unique: the world’s first universal health care system provided by government.

What this meant was that, for the first time in UK history, anyone was entitled to free health treatment from ‘cradle to grave,’ prompting Bevan to boast that Britain had 'the moral leadership of the world.'

Sylvia Diggory, née Beckingham, was just 13 years old when she was chosen to be the first ever NHS patient. From her corner bed on Ward 5, she watched nurses form a 'guard of honour' when Nye Bevan arrived at the hospital.

Looking back, she said: "Mr Bevan asked me if I understood the significance of the occasion and told me that it was a milestone in history - the most civilised step any country had ever taken, and a day I would remember for the rest of my life - and of course, he was right."

Today, the NHS is one of the largest employers in the world, along with the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the Indian railways and the Wal-Mart supermarket chain. It employs 1.3 million people in England and Wales who are in contact with more than 1.5 million patients and their families every day.

Have your say

Waiting lists, superbugs and budgets: of course, the NHS has its problems and its critics. But it’s also something of which many people in the UK are most proud.

If you want to share your story of NHS treatment, then use the form below:

Your stories

Sandra MacNeill in Bolton

I was born on the 5th July 1948 at Hope Hospital, Salford and my mother always told me that I was one of the first babies to be born there under the then new National Health scheme.  She had to pay to have my sister two years previous  Little did she know that twelve months on I would be spending the next two and a half years there as a patient.  After being discharged I attended regularly up until I was eleven and was then discharged so as not to interfere with my secondary school education.  The point I am trying to make is, if it were not for the NHS and the dedicated staff, some of whom I can still recall, I would not be able to walk at all now. I lived in Salford, not far from Hanky Park and we were not well off, my father worked on the docks. The NHS for families like ours, I dread to think what would have happened if my parents had had to pay for my treatment. I remember the verandahs which crisscrossed Hope Hospital and  I have photos taken with Sister Williams when they used to wheel me out in my bed on the verandah so I could have some fresh air. What would elf and safety make of that nowadays? I have some friends who trained at Hope Hospital some years ago now and for a person living in Salford the Hospital was a very important part of our lives.

David Pearce in Cheadle

I would like to see politicians, media and the electorate stop castigating the NHS (and calling for radical reform). I have had fantastic support from Hope Hospital for a rare/obscure disease. I doubt I'd get any help in a private healthcare service, there would be no money in it. Did you notice, no headlines this spring about NHS overspend! No praise either. The NHS is pre-eminently a people based service, with all the frailties people bring. They need motivating by being respected.

Francis Cunningham in Uppermill

This government is constantly interfering in our NHS and do not know what they're doing.  I'm 76 and I can only walk with the aid of a Wheeled Tri-walker, but only on decent surfaces.  My surgery is excellent and quite nearby, here in Uppermill.  The thought of having to travel any distance in my condition fills me with dread.  The very reason for one to visit their own Doctor is because they are ill isn't it?  For God's sake, leave it to the Doctors. Politicians? - I’d shoot 'em!!!

Dr Arthur Rushton in Chester

In the 1960s I entered Manchester Medical School, qualifying in 1969, working first at Withington Hospital and then at Hope Hospital, Salford and in 1970 was appointed to one of the Senior House Officer positions on the new Coronary Care Unit, an innovation which dramatically reduced in hospital deaths from heart attacks and which was being rapidly introduced across the NHS (if I remember correctly, Hope and Manchester Royal Infirmary had the first such units in the Manchester area). However Hope Hospital also ran a dedicated Coronary Care Ambulance service which extended the Coronary Care service into the community by providing a rapid response team via a specially equipped ambulance to calls from GPs and members of the public. At this time only Belfast in Northern Ireland and Brighton on the South Coast ran a similar service. Along with these units the Hope Hospital service clearly demonstrated that it was possible to resuscitate heart attack victims in the community and all of the team of doctors and nurses from the unit have our memories of bringing patients 'back from the dead' on factory floors and in GP surgeries across Salford, along with carrying very ill patient down flights of stairs in Salford tower blocks when the lifts failed! Of course this type of service is now widely available across the NHS through trained paramedics but at the time it was an amazing experience to be 'writing the book' as Salford led the way.

Anon in Bury

The NHS is in crisis & hygiene is still a critical issue, my father is currently in hospital having gone in for an emergency operation. He caught MRSA four times, once whilst in ICU/HDU, a couple of instances occurred whilst in isolation & with barrier nursing. The private/isolation room was not up to the reasonable standard of hygiene expected. Observations of nursing staff practises, didn’t always meet with the barrier protocols expected of visitors. Thankfully he’s now recovered from the MRSA, although now set for long-term rehabilitation. During this stressful time, obtaining information from Doctors & nursing staff has been restricted, ambiguous & changed, depending on who you spoke to. Whenever they were questioned, my family always felt like they were surrounded by walls of secrecy; extracting information on many occasions has been like extracting teeth! Not the standard of service that the NHS was created for!

Mr F T Fraiel in Manchester

Having closed down many smaller hospitals in Manchester, the remaining large hospitals haven't the spare capacity to cope with just normal emergency throughput. Let alone a major emergency. I am diabetic with heart concerns so i use my local hospital quite a lot. I cant praise the staff enough.They are mostly remarkably dedicated people who although rushed off their feet and underpaid provide wonderful levels of care.

Georgina Waylen in Manchester

As someone with a serious chronic illness since 1982 involving hospitalization, operations and ongoing monitoring and treatment from a range of specialities, I have seen the NHS change over 25 years. After some dark days under Conservative governments, the treatment I receive has improved hugely since 1997, both in terms of waiting times, treatment options and how staff treat patients. Many of these changes have been small and incremental and therefore not as newsworthy as health 'crises'.

Simon Perera in Manchester

Fortunately, I've only had to go to hospital once in my adult life. I went to A&E in a dreadful state and they kept me overnight and sorted me out a treat. This was the best product or service of any kind I've received in a long time and it was FREE.

Tracy Wellings, 45 in Partington

I still call our local hospital by its first name of Park Hospital which people still know it better then Trafford. I can not complain about the service that my husband has received over the past 4 yrs after having a stroke then having a operation to remove bowel cancer this year. The doctors & the nurses do a very good job, but they are underpaid for what they do. I have found the nurses very helpful as my husband is under two doctors at the hospital - one for his stroke & arthritis and the other doctor for his bowels. Both team of doctors & nurses are just at the other end of the phone to answer any question that I may have.

Sue Clarke-Berry, 62 in Handforth

Having undergone nurse training at Wythenshawe Hospital in 1966 and living in at Newall House nurses' home during training it could have been hard 'being on the other side of the fence'. However, last year I was admitted into Wythenshawe Hospital for a total of 6 weeks suffering a heart/lung problem. I will not be afraid should I need to be re-admitted there in the future. The healthcare assistants, cleaners, nursing staff, technicians, therapist and the consultants, Dr Brooks and Professor Woodcock, were very attentive and professional. I received the best care, nutritious food, first class treatment and helpful information regarding my diagnosis and treatment. I am also eternally grateful for the first class attention received by the GPs at Handforth Health Centre prior to admission into hospital. I believe that their professionalism and rapid response to my life threatening illness, saved my life. We are so blessed in having the NHS in this country....... long may it continue!

Roger Salt, 60 in Whaley Bridge

My birthday is 14 July 1948, which is around the date the NHS was born. That makes me 60 years old this year - the same as the NHS! 18 months ago I had major heart surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital. Paul Waterworth and his team were absolutely marvellous, and I was very well looked after. Well done NHS!

Jean H Keig, 69 in Sale

I was operated at Park Hospital in 1939, (I am now 69) My mother was told that I was the youngest baby at 10 days of age to be operated on there. How was treatment paid for then? Would it possibly been by a private insurance, because I was in hospital for a long time as the operation was serious in those days. My Mother said I was in for 6 months, maybe she was mistaken and meant six weeks and Mum & Dad were not well off.