'I am proud to have been an NHS employee'

10:20am Thursday 3rd July 2008

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THIS week we should all celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS.

When Aneurin Bevan introduced it in 1948, it was the greatest-ever achievement of a socialist government and probably remains so to this day.

The people of this country had come through the war and suffered so much together, so now it was time to benefit together from a medical service that would be available to all, free at the point of delivery and which would protect people from the cradle to the grave.

It functioned brilliantly and countless millions of people have remained in good health over the years as a result of medical intervention which, in the past, they would never have been able to afford or have had made available.

But 60 years ago, medicine was so much simpler. Today, the NHS has an annual budget of £100billion and is one of the world's largest employers with 1.3 million staff. I've been very proud to have been one of them.

Today, someone having a heart attack can have their coronary artery opened up by a special balloon within 30 minutes of arriving in casualty.

Bone marrow cancers that were formerly incurable can be treated with total body irradiation and stem cell transfusion.

The vast majority of cancers are now curable, keyhole surgery has made operations quicker and less painful. With the promise of gene therapy in the future for inherited diseases, who knows what might be achieved.

Of course, there are problems. Superbug infections, postcode lotteries, mixed-sex wards, political interference and an ageing population to name but a few.

But we must never take for granted the enormous strides that have been made over the last 60 years, and we must strive to make it better still.

One thing is for certain. Here, in Basingstoke, we are blessed with a fantastic local hospital with dedicated and skilled staff, and the additional support from The Hampshire Clinic should people wish to avail themselves of it.

- Dr Hilary Jones.

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