Celebrating 70 years of the NHS

On July 5 1948, the ambitious dream of creating a national health service, free at the point of use for everyone in Britain, became a reality.

In its 70 year history, the NHS has become tightly woven into the country’s fabric, a source of great pride, pioneering work and everyday stories of exceptional people, with tales of sadness, love, loss and hope – no more so than in Bristol, a city that continues to be at the forefront of ground-breaking developments in health.

All-too-often used as a political football, the service faces unprecedented challenges, with chronic under-funding, changing needs of an ageing population, increasing demand and urgent need to address crises in child services and mental health.

Against this turbulent background, staff work tirelessly to help people and save lives.

Some of these everyday heroes have shared their stories of life on the front line of the NHS.

Rose Hopes began nursing in 1951

Rose Hopes (nee Pike) started her three-year nursing qualification at Southmead Hospital in January 1951 and went on to work Cossham Hospital in Kingswood until 1974.

“It was a great hospital with over 100 inpatient beds then,” she recalls. “I loved going into work never knowing what to expect.

“There were a number of boot factories around at the time and a lot of workers would come in after injuring their hands.

“To help the hand recover and not get infected, we would sew the hand into their stomach – we had so many injuries like that at the time that we were doing it on a regular basis.”

Rose particularly remembers one patient, who had been in such a bad motorcycle accident, the kickstart from his bike was lodged in his liver.

He spent weeks recovering in the hospital. After he was discharged, knowing there was no domestic staff on a Thursday, he promptly returned to do the washing up each week. He just wanted to give something back to those who had saved his life.

Jimmy has received an award for his work with the NHS

Jimmy Reeves owes his life to North Bristol NHS Trust and is proud to give something back as an employee.

In January 1983, Jimmy was born 26 weeks premature and weighed just one pound and two ounces. While in the Southmead Hospital Premature Baby Unit (now known as NICU), his parents were told it was unlikely he would survive.

Against the odds, he lived and more than 30 years on, works as a senior healthcare assistant on Gate 8B.

Jimmy said: “I was incredibly lucky to survive. They took a graft from my dad’s femur and constructed me a palate.

“I eventually moved to a unit at Frenchay Hospital and it wasn’t until I was about 18 months old that I was allowed to go home permanently.

“I owe my life to this trust and was over the moon when I was offered a job at Southmead Hospital.

“I wanted to work in an acute unit to see life-changing work happen such as transplants. To be able to play a small part in a patient’s journey and to see their life change for the better brings me so much joy.”

Sheena as a student nurse

Sheena Taylor, a staff nurse in the Chemotherapy Suite at Southmead Hospital first joined Southmead in 1972, when she started her nurse training at the hospital.

After almost five decades working in the NHS, she reflects on how things have changed since the days when everything was done without the use of apps, calculators, smart phones, or even hoists, the “dreaded matron rounds” and perfecting bed corners.

Sheena has gone from training at Southmead, to working in the wards and later in the outpatients unit.

“I can remember frequently phoning the labour rooms to find out if they had any fresh placentas that I could use on a patient’s leg ulcer. For a time it was believed that they helped with the healing of the ulcer. It was a messy procedure,” she recalls.

After a break, she completed a ‘return to nursing’ course at Southmead and joined the haematology team in 2002.

Sheena says she has enjoyed every minute of her job

“16 years later I am still with the team,” says Sheena. “I did a chemotherapy course at UWE Bristol and have been giving chemotherapy for about 13 years now. I couldn’t wish to work with a better team. A lot of staff in the hospital don’t even realise we give chemotherapy in Southmead.

“I have never wanted to work in another hospital. I trained at Southmead and will stay faithful to them until I retire next year. I hope to retire December 2019, when I would have worked 50 years in Southmead and enjoyed every minute doing a job I love and having the opportunity to help many people.”

Strictly Southmead saw ten couples dancing in the Brunel Building at Southmead Hospital to raise money for Southmead Hospital Charity

To get involved in the #WhyILoveTheNHS campaign, share a message, video or image by printing a specially-designed poster, available from www.nbt.nhs.uk/nhs70, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, including the hashtag #WhyILoveTheNHS.

Thanks to Southmead Hospital for stories and photos. 

Main photo of Southmead Hospital’s stroke department. ©Barbara Evripidou2017; m: 07879443963; barbara@firstavenuephotography.com.