This year, on Wednesday 5 July the NHS is celebrating a big birthday – an amazing 75 years old, and we want to hear your stories.

Formed at a time of great uncertainty in 1948 but created with optimism and hope the founding principles of the NHS remain as relevant and valued today as they did then. While a lot has changed over the past seven decades, the NHS has remained a constant in all our lives – a true British institution. One that has no doubt, touched all our lives at some point. 

Today the NHS in England treats 1.3 million people a day and continues to innovate and adapt to meet the needs of each successive generation, keeping patients at the heart of everything it does.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the skill, dedication and compassion of the people who work and volunteer in the NHS.

This year, as we commemorate this significant anniversary, we are celebrating the positive impact the NHS in the area has had on all our lives.

Lynne Barnes, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Therapies at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, said: “I have loved nursing since the first day when I started as a Health Care Assistant.

“Since I began my nurse training, going on to work as a senior nurse before becoming a specialist nurse and then into executive director roles – I have seen many changes both from a medical as well as a technological perspective, all of which seek to improve the care and treatment we provide and the outcomes for those who use our services.

“I am incredibly proud to have spent my life working for such a wonderful British institution, one which is by our side during the most profound moments in our lives and at its heart, is driven by one collective ambition – to care for patients and their families.’’

The Trust is keen to hear from people who have worked or are working in the NHS, hear their stories and find out what makes them do what they do, as well as hearing from past and present patients – whether they were born the same year the NHS was, or they simply want to talk about the care they have received. Every story matters.

Today we cannot imagine life without the NHS. As we mark the 75th anniversary – we are not only looking back, but we are also looking ahead to the opportunities we have to help shape the future.

We can all play a role in supporting the NHS in this special birthday year. So, if you have a reflection, memory, or story you would like to share, we encourage you to get in touch – we want to build a picture of Southport and Ormskirk from across the years so we can celebrate all that we have achieved.

If you have a story or memory to share, we would love you to get in touch! 

Please follow this link to submit your stories and photos https://www.southportandormskirk.nhs.uk/nhs-75-stories  – these will be collected and promoted in the run up to the anniversary.