Today we celebrate the 75th birthday of the NHS and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this mighty institution which continues to do what it was originally founded for – to provide free healthcare to all.
I couldn’t be prouder of the committed team we have at DHC – spanning primary care, outpatients, community care and mental health – and everything we’ve achieved together. Thank you for everything you do in bringing local NHS healthcare services closer to patients’ homes – it matters and it is appreciated.
I couldn’t be prouder of my family, which has NHS blood running through its veins, with three generations having carried the NHS baton by working at Dorking Hospital; my mother, Diana Arnaud and daughter, Rebecca Arnaud. My mother inspired me with her career as one of the pioneering radiographers at Dorking Hospital. She was the first radiographer there in the 1950s bravely testing patients for Tuberculosis and vividly remembered carrying the heavy x-ray machine up and down the stairs to examine patients. Fast forward to last year and I’m pleased to say the x-ray department was reinstated. As you can imagine, being part of the team which helped to make this happen had a particularly special significance for me.
Today is something to celebrate as we take stock of everything the NHS has achieved and acknowledge all the people that make it great!
In the photo: Michael Arnaud, CEO of DHC GP Federation, Diana Arnaud, Rebecca Arnaud
