NHS jubilee will signal next 50 years of care

A host of activities are planned to mark the golden jubilee on Sunday, July 5 including events with memorabilia and exhibitions of services down the decades since the NHS was set up in 1948.

But the fun will also focus on latest improvements and the major advances which have been achieved in care and look ahead to future enhancements of services.

In particular health chiefs are hoping to involve as many people from the community as possible and events aimed at youngsters will be held as part of efforts to recruit more people to the health field in the face of major staff shortages in some areas.

Philip Turner, who is co-ordinating events at Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital, said open days would give local people an opportunity to look behind the scenes.

An open day for local school pupils would be held and former staff would be invited back to share memories.

"People are looking forward to it all because we are proud of the health service and it is a good place to work," he said.

One of the highlights of activities run by Airedale NHS Trust will be the burial of a time capsule containing memorabilia from 1998 and accounts of 50 people working in healthcare. It will be reopened on the 100th anniversary of the NHS in 2048.

Roger Pollard, who is organising events for the trust, said: "We've asked people to say what they're doing at the moment and their predictions for the future.

"We will hopefully keep in touch with them and those that are around in 50 years will come back for the opening.

"It is a milestone for the NHS and everybody is delighted about it."

Other activities around the anniversary weekend will link in with Bradford's mela while a major exhibition to celebrate the golden jubilee will be mounted at Bradford Cathedral later in the year.

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