Brighton leads the way in NHS 70th celebrations

5th July 1948

Brighton and Hove branch of the NHS Retirement Fellowship is leading the way in celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the NHS, which was founded on 5 July 1948. Thanks to the initiative of two of its members, Peter and Sheila Sheppard, the 27 member branch which was founded in 2011 has collected memories of life in the NHS to form the basis of an exhibition at the Jubilee Library, Brighton from July 3 to 15.

Official opening by the Mayor

The Brighton exhibition will be officially opened by the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Councillor Dee Simson at 2 p.m. on Tuesday 3 July. It is the first of 10 events in England, Wales and Scotland being organised by the NHS Retirement Fellowship, supported by a £10,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Nursing memories uncovered

Sheila Sheppard, a former nurse, said: “Thanks to our members we have uncovered some fantastic bits of history, including memories from 91 year-old Maud Agnew, who started her nurse training before the NHS and was later a ward sister at Brighton General Hospital or Maureen Davies who worked as a nurse in Bosnia during the war there. There is a long history of health care in Brighton. It’s 190 years since the first hospital opened as the Sussex County Hospital and Sea Bathing Infirmary (now the Royal Sussex County Hospital).”

NHS Retirement Fellowship

2018 is a year for double celebrations for the NHS Retirement Fellowship because it is also the fortieth anniversary of the organisation, whose 10,000 members played their part in building the health service of today and who now provide social, leisure and welfare support for each other through a network of 150 branches.