YEP Says: Taking care of us from the cradle to the grave

DAy in, day out our lives are in their hands.
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These ordinary people, who perform the most extraordinary feats every day, deserve our thanks and praise.

Today the YEP is really proud to give credit to those who work for the NHS in this city, and to allow some of those whose lives have been saved, or improved by the services of the NHS to say thanks.

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We know how much the NHS means to our readers, and that’s why at the start of this year we launched the We love our NHS campaign.There have been some heartwarming stories to tell.

This year, of course, the NHS will mark its 70th anniversary.

On July 5th it will be 70 years since the Government risked the wrath of the medical profession to make real a white paper proposing free health care from birth to death – famously from the cradle to the grave.

The NHS has constantly evolved since its beginnings, which are largely credited to Aneurin Bevan, the then Secretary of State for Health.

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It has had to respond to the changing needs of the nation, advances in science, a growing and ageing population, the emergence of new illnesses, medicines and emergencies.

The population of England alone has soared by around 17 million since the NHS was launched.

This makes the future for the service ever more challenging and it needs to ensure it is fit for the patients of now and the patients of the future.

But the guiding principles should remain the same.

These are that the health service should be comprehensive, with all citizens receiving all the advice, treatment and care they need, combined with the best medical and other facilities available. Secondly, that the service should be free to the public at the point of use.

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This does not mean to say it is free. We all contribute to the cost of the NHS and, as demand increases, we may all have to face the unpalatable fact that we may each also have to contribute a little more. But when you see comments like we have in the YEP today, you know it will be worthwhile.

What everyone needs reassurance about is that that money is being spent wisely and carefully and not being used to line the pockets of medical businesses.

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