Trust to mark 70th anniversary of NHS

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust will hold the event in the grounds of the Shropshire Conference Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on July 7.

The NHS turns 70 on July 5.

NHS organisations across the country will be marking the anniversary with a series of events including open days, exhibitions, staff awards themed around the birthday, The NHS Big7Tea – a tea party for staff, retired staff, volunteers, patients, users, carers and local community groups and competitions for local children and young people to get involved.

Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Governance at SaTH, which runs RSH and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, said: “We first held an open day at our Trust two years ago, which grew hugely last year when we combined it with our annual charity hospital walk, run and cycle.

“This year, we plan to make it even bigger and better by inviting partner organisations to join with us in celebrating the 70th birthday of the greatest gift Britain has ever given to itself – the NHS.

“Planning is still at an early stage, but there will be stalls and attractions, as well as a fundraising element in the form of a 5km circular charity walk or run and a separate cycle ride.”

The fun day, which is being organised by a team of volunteers, is being held at Shropshire Conference Centre, as it provides the opportunity for events to be moved indoors in case of bad weather.

Julia said: “This will be a real community celebration and we would love to see as many people there as possible. This is a great way to say thank you to the countless doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, paramedics, scientists, porters, cleanliness technicians and other NHS staff who have looked after us for the last 70 years.”

Anyone who would like to get involved in the fun day can contact the organising team via SaTH’s dedicated website at www.sath.nhs.uk/NHS70