Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon today unveiled plans for national and local celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the NHS.
The programme of events will include an event at Glasgow’s SECC to recognise those who have made a unique contribution to the development of the health service, a ministerial reception at Edinburgh castle for front-line staff and patients, and a special service that will be held at St Giles Cathedral. At a local level local NHS boards will also be hosting events such as family fund days, tea parties, photographic exhibitions, charity balls, ceilidhs and the openings of new NHS facilities.
Commenting as she met with NHS staff from the 1940s and patients in Glasgow Sturgeon said she was delighted to launch the start of a wide variety of celebrations that will count down the 60 days before the 60th anniversary.
"Most of us have only ever known a Scotland that has an NHS. A high quality publicly owned service which is free to everyone at the point of delivery.
"But some Scots will remember the days when seeing a doctor was a hard choice, often between essential treatment and food for the family. That kind of choice is scarcely imaginable to us today which is why we must never take our health service for granted.
"Today, our NHS provides a vast range of services and complex treatments not even conceivable 60 years ago - artificial hips, life-saving drugs, kidney and heart transplants.”
She said the events will also be a time to celebrate the distinctive Scottish character of the NHS, with Scotland’s internationally renowned reputation for medical education and pioneering steps forward in healthcare, and called for Scottish people to become ‘co-owners’ of the service.
She said: "For the future I want to see the Scottish people and NHS staff become real partners - co owners - of the health service so that they can shape a truly responsive National Health Service which meets Scotland's needs for the next 60 years."
One person has commented on this article. 1. NHS 60th anniversary celebrations announced
Rachel Porteous, Unregistered I recieved an email from the Scottish Gvt inviting me and all other NHS staff to a multi-faith celebration of the NHS's 60th anniversary (at St.Giles). Unfortunately I do not think it is appropriate to promote religious events, especially via my work's email address. I do not think a link exists between religion and the NHS (apart from the fact that some people are hospitalised because of religious attacks.) I would however be interested to learn (out with the workplace) what the faithful have to say about incurable god-made diseases. The Scottish gvt should prevent the religious indoctrination of impressionable children and encourage fact-based learning.
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