A march to celebrate the 70th birthday of the NHS has also commemorated Southport’s little-known role in its creation.
The event, organised by Southport Labour, started at Garrick Parade in the town centre as it holds a special significance in the history of the National Health Service dating back to a dozen years before its official “birthday” of July 5th, 1948.
Southport’s Garrick Theatre was the site for Labour’s 1934 Party Conference and is the spot where Labour accepted a paper on the creation of the service. Written by the renowned surgeon and Labour MP Somerville Hastings, the paper helped kickstart the process which led to Labour establishing the NHS shortly after the Second World War.
Now the town’s Mecca Bingo Hall, marchers gathered there on Saturday before then heading up to Southport Hospital where they were met by the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust Chief Executive and medical staff who received a giant birthday card and an intricate birthday cake for staff and patients.
Thanking the campaigners for their two-mile march to the hospital in sweltering conditions, Chief Executive Silas Nicholls told the crowd that the NHS was cherished by the public and work was ongoing locally to ensure that remained the case, saying:
“We want to see patient care transformed in Southport, Formby and West Lancashire making it fit for purpose not just for the foreseeable future but for decades ahead.”
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A delegation including Liz Savage, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Southport, Wirral West MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Margaret Greenwood and Sefton Central MP and Shadow Minister for Small Business Bill Esterson then went in to hand over the giant card and birthday cake over to medical staff who described its intricate decoration as “stunning”.
Liz Savage, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate, who then went on to meet with Silas Nicholls and Finance Director Steve Shanahan to discuss the hospital’s future, says the event and talks were highly constructive :
” The NHS is Labour’s and the country’s finest creation I think, it does so much good work and we should cherish and celebrate it. While Labour’s founding role in the history of the NHS is well known, Southport’s connection as its effective conception point isn’t as much, so it’s lovely to be able to mark it and bring attention to that too. “
” After speaking to Silas and Steve it’s clear that there will be significant changes coming to our local services. Even the possibility of a new unified hospital site is being investigated. They make a strong case for the need for change but it has to be for the good of local residents and not just a matter of efficiency savings. “
” I know that is something important to them also so we’ll be keeping a keen eye on the proposals once they start to take shape to ensure that’s the case. “
” The NHS has never been under greater strain or greater threat due to current government policy and it is being privatised by stealth. This must be stopped or the NHS we know and love will be stolen from us. Make no mistake, Labour will return it to a unified, properly funded system, one that is fit for another 70 years of amazing service.”
Photos – Credit: Samantha Fulstow.
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