A CELEBRATION of 70 years of the NHS is being held in Evesham and health chiefs want local residents to play their part.
Staff at Evesham Hospital are welcoming local people to the town landmark on Thursday from 11am to 3pm.
To pay tribute to 70 years of the NHS staff at the hospital would like the people of Evesham and past staff to join them for a celebration which will feature old images of the hospital and there will be an opportunity to look at the new sensory garden which was completed earlier this month.
Evesham Hospital pre-dates the NHS and has been in the town since 1930. During it’s time services there have been overseen by a number of different organisations and it is now run by Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust – the main provider of community services in the county.
The site of the hospital was originally used for a workhouse. In 1938 it became Avonside Hospital and was later renamed Evesham Community Hospital, meaning the hospital has been serving the local community for 80 years.
All but two of the original workhouse buildings have been demolished and the hospital has seen many upgrades and additions to allow it to continue to serve the local community – most recently stroke rehabilitation services for the whole county were centralised there.
Shirley Hodgetts, matron at Evesham Community Hospital said, “We all know how much the hospital means to the people of Evesham so we’d like to invite them to come along and celebrate its history and bright future with us.
“We’re really keen to hear from anybody who was born at the hospital when there was a maternity unit here as well as anyone who may have worked at the hospital over the years. We’ll be enjoying some tea and cake on the day and celebrating 70 years of our fantastic NHS.”
A PERSHORE landmark will turn blue for the evening on Thursday to pay a unique tribute to 70 years of the National Health Service.
The floodlighting at Pershore Abbey will be adjusted for one night only alongside other landmarks across Britain for a unique birthday present to the service organised by NHS England.
A number of the congregation and members of Pershore Abbey work or have worked for the Health Service, including midwives, nurses and doctors.
Peter Stansbie, one of the Lay Ministers at the Abbey, will enjoy the spectacle as he served as a senior executive in the NHS, working all across England and Wales.
“We enjoy an amazing health service in this country,” he said.
“So to see another symbol of service to the community, our Abbey, shining across the countryside is an excellent way to show our gratitude.”
Kiran Patel, Medical Director for NHS England (West Midlands) said: “Light up blue is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of one of the nation’s most loved institutions, the NHS as we turn 70.
“We are delighted that Pershore Abbey is taking the time to publicly recognise and thank our extraordinary NHS staff – on the evening, we hope local people will be encouraged to take photographs and share them via social media using the hashtags #NHS70 and #LightupBlue.”
Visit www.nhs70.nhs.uk for more information.
