Today, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Health Service (NHS), a treasured national institution. Treating over a million people a day in England, the NHS touches all of our lives.
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. Today, nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone, and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British. This is because, since 1948, the NHS has always evolved and adapted to meet the needs of each successive generation.
In Government, we are acutely aware of current pressures on services, particularly following the pandemic. That is why it is important the NHS changes and adapts in response to this by improving technology and medical advancements.
It is why we are supporting our NHS with record levels of investment and record numbers of doctors and nurses. Investment must be supported by reform, which is why last week we set out our 15-year NHS workforce plan, backed by £2.4 billion, modernising the workforce and setting out the largest expansion in training and recruitment in the NHS’ history.
We are confident that with our plans for recovery and reform and an embrace of technology and innovation, it will be fit to deliver the best care to patients for another 75 years.
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