The 75th anniversary of the NHS was celebrated in style at the Darent Valley Hospital earlier this month.
There was an abundance of good food on offer as staff marked the occasion with a barbeque in the sun.
There was also plenty of equally impressive live music. North Kent College music staff and students performed two sets as part of the event, the Fleetdown Signing Choir came along to entertain staff and patients in the hospital foyer and Valley Park Radio’s Clive Jenns was acting DJ.
Charlton Athletic Community Trust were also in attendance to oversee a football shoot out, where prizes on offer ranged from t-shirts to four match day tickets.
Moira Mitchell, Head of Engagement, Experience & Inclusion at Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust said: “We were delighted by the number of staff who attended our celebrations on site at Darent Valley Hospital. We’d also like to say a huge thank you to our community partner, North Kent College, for providing some wonderful musical entertainment during the afternoon. The performances were excellent and lifted the spirits of everyone. We very much look forward to working with the college during the next academic year on a variety of projects.”
The 5 July 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the NHS. When it was founded in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery.
Over the years the NHS has delivered huge medical advances, including the world’s first liver, heart and lung transplant in 1987, pioneering new treatments, such as bionic eyes and, in more recent times, the world’s first rapid whole genome sequencing service for seriously ill babies and children.