Marking the 76th birthday of the National Health Service

In the centre of the image are the words: Marking the 76th birthday of the NHS. At the top right of the image are some balloons and in the bottom right the Healthwatch Surrey logo with a pale blue arc above it (part of the Healthwatch apostrophe). The whole image is aon a dark blue background.

Marking the 76th birthday of the National Health Service

5th July 2024

76 years ago  – on 5th July 1948 – the National Health Service (NHS) was born. In post war Britain the NHS was focussed on treating single conditions or illnesses. But our health and social care needs have changed considerably since then; more of us are living longer and have multiple conditions that require regular, ongoing care.

Today, the NHS interacts with 1.7 million people every day. It is the biggest employer in Europe and the world’s largest employer of highly skilled professionals.

The NHS welcomes all forms of feedback and uses it to improve services. Good feedback can help to identify areas of best practice. Negative feedback can help to identify areas of concern. One way the NHS receives its feedback is through Healthwatch Surrey. As an independent statutory body we have the power to make sure NHS decision makers listen to the experiences of local people. So we’d love to hear from you. Your views – good and bad – really can make a difference.