Doncaster health staff rub shoulders with royals at NHS 75th anniversary at Westminster Abbey

The Duke and Duchess of Edlinburgh and politicians were all in attendance at the service, with staff representing Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), and Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also present.

RDaSH workers Kathryn Bebb, Service Manager for Planned Community Nursing in Doncaster, Taiwo Falope, staff nurse from Rotherham, Carolina Gonzalez, Specialist Pharmacist, Doncaste, Funmbi Okunade, Ward Sister, at Great Oaks in Scunthorpe, and Meagan McNaney, Associate Nurse Director from Rotherham, shared photos of their visit to the Abbey.

A spokesman for RDaSH said: “We're so proud of our colleagues who were at Westminster Abbey representing us for the NHS 75th birthday.”

NHS England hosted the event for NHS staff, volunteers and partners to commemorate 75 years to the day that Aneurin Bevan, the then Health Secretary, launched the NHS in Manchester on July 5, 1948.

Toby Lewis, Chief Executive for RDaSH, said:” I am so proud that we had five colleague in London to join in the NHS 75th birthday celebrations.

“It is brilliant that our frontline staff were chosen to attend such a special event,” added Toby.

“All of our staff put our patients at the heart of everything that they do and provide the best care possible day in day out. I’m so pleased that some of our RDaSH team were at Westminster Abbey on this very special day.”

“The NHS birthday celebration recognises a bright and ambitious future: and that depends on the skill and compassion of colleagues like those are representing us at the ceremony.”

Those present were able to see the NHS's George Cross, which the late Queen awarded to the health service for the work staff did during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout its history.

In one of the last public engagements before her death last year, the Queen bestowed the medal on the NHS at a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Health service leaders from across the four nations attended the ceremony, with nurse May Parsons, who delivered the first Covid-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial, also present.