Mayor celebrates NHS's 75th birthday with Peterborough's longest-serving staff

Peterborough’s new mayor met with local NHS staff to celebrate the health service’s 75th birthday.

Cllr Nick Sandford, who took up the role in May this year, visited Peterborough City Hospital where he met 15 of its most long-standing employees.

Some had worked for the NHS in Peterborough for 40 years, showing incredible commitment to the service, he said.

“It’s really impressive that people have such a commitment to the concept of the NHS that they’ve remained in the same organisation for such a long time,” Cllr Sandford said.

He added that staff have come under a lot of pressure in recent years, but that they remain dedicated to providing healthcare that’s free at the point of use.

The NHS, or National Health Service, was founded on 5th July 1948, with then-Health Secretary Nye Bevan spearheading efforts to establish the publicly-funded service.

It is now one of the largest employers in the world and is used by hundreds of millions of people each year.

The meeting at Peterborough City Hospital, also attended by Mayoress Bella Saltmarsh and the hospital's chief executive Caroline Walker, was funded by the North West Anglia Hospitals’ Charity, who also provided a celebratory cake.

Cllr Sandford said he thought it was important he and Ms Saltmarsh “go out for the NHS rather than expecting them to come to the Town Hall” – although there were also celebrations there.

Peterborough Town Hall was lit up with blue lights to thank the “healthcare heroes” who make the NHS work.

Peterborough City Hospital at Bretton Gate is managed by the North West Anglia Trust.

It opened in 2010 and has a capacity of more than 600.