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Celebrating 73 years of the NHS
The NHS turns 73 on Monday - and several NHS staff share their birthday with the service. We spoke to five NHS birthday buddies from West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust about what the much-loved national institution means to them.
Lisa Musk – Assistant medical education manager
As an assistant medical education manager, Lisa works alongside Health Education England and supports GP trainees throughout their training.
Lisa has worked for the NHS for over 12 years and is grateful for the skills she has developed and the team she gets to work with every single day. Lisa thrives on being an approachable and polite person while ensuring West Suffolk Hospital is a place everyone can feel safe and comfortable in.
“I feel that we don’t truly know how lucky we are to have the NHS. When I found out I shared my birthday with the NHS, I felt incredibly special as this is the organisation I have chosen to work in.
“I feel I can make a difference by supporting and helping more GP’s work within our communities who can hopefully help more patients. Each and every one of us who work in the NHS play a part in a patient care regardless of what department we are based in, we are all valuable and needed for the NHS to function.”
Lisa plans to order some sushi and a bottle of plum wine while sitting under a gazebo with her family for her birthday, finishing off with a walk along the coast. If you’re planning on getting Lisa a birthday cake, chocolate is her favourite!
Lisa lives in Holland on Sea and is moving to Suffolk in the next few months.
Sally Lawrence – discharge planning team lead
Sally has worked within the NHS – at both West Suffolk and Newmarket hospitals – since 1982. Sally completed her nursing training in Newmarket before heading back to the West Suffolk site to become a staff nurse and has now worked in the discharge planning team for the last decade.
Sally still works with some of the people she started with back in the 1980s and is very proud to have worked in the NHS providing care and support to the west Suffolk community, including a grandson who was born in the West Suffolk Hospital just 8 weeks ago!
Sally said: “My mum received her end of life care at West Suffolk Hospital nine years ago and was looked after by the respiratory team. The team were so gracious and compassionate to her and my family and I will be eternally grateful for their kindness.
“I think we are so fortunate to have the NHS. I feel this has been magnified during the pandemic. People are incredibly lucky to have access to healthcare in the NHS. There have been many heart-breaking scenes on the news where others in the world have not had this available to them. I have worked with some truly amazing people who provide an amazing service and care to the community who use our hospital.”
Sally’s time in the discharge planning team has now come to an end as she moves into the transformation team and we have been told by her discharge colleagues that she’s going to be sadly missed. Sally plans to spend her birthday with her family and a bit of chocolate cake!
Katherine Soper – specialist speech and language therapist
Katherine has worked in the Trust since 2012 as part of the school aged complex needs team. Katherine thinks fact that the young people and families she works with can access the same support no matter what their financial situation is the best thing about working for the NHS.
While most of our stories are about staff who share a birthday with the NHS, Katherine’s is a little different: her daughter is the one celebrating alongside the NHS, after it saved her life.
Katherine gave birth to her daughter Emily five years ago via emergency caesarean at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. She spent four weeks in the Norfolk and Norwich neonatal intensive care before spending another six weeks in West Suffolk’s special care baby unit.
Katherine said: “It is so fitting that she shares her birthday with the NHS. Every year I look back with mixed feelings, it was such a difficult time but I am so grateful to both the Norfolk and Norwich and West Suffolk hospitals who looked after us so well.”
Emily is going to have a very busy week with two different parties – an outdoor one with her friends and another one for her family – with chocolate birthday cake made by Emily’s nana on the menu!
Katherine and Emily live in Bury St Edmunds.
Emma Reid – foundation year doctor
Emma has been with the Trust for just over a year working as a foundation year doctor. Emma believes that the best thing about working for the NHS is the people she works alongside.
Emma said: “The NHS employs around 1.6 million staff and every person I have met during my short career does their absolute best every single day. They strive for the best possible care for their patients and despite the workload, laughs and smiles are always abundant to brighten your day.”
Emma is hugely proud to be both a part of the NHS and share a birthday with it, she said: “The NHS means equal healthcare provision for all regardless of ethnicity, culture, age, gender and class. It is the blue logo that holds us all together and makes me want to go into work each and every day.
“It treats my raging tonsillitis and it looks after my dying grandad. It is one of the UK’s greatest achievements and has changed dramatically since it was founded, but what remains the same is the dedication from staff in ensuring the needs of the patient are absolutely paramount.”
Emma will be working the day she turns 30 but plans to have a weekend brunch with friends, a trip to Duxford to see the planes and dinner with her wonderful partner. If you’re looking to get Emma a birthday cake, she likes carrot cake with a mountain of cream cheese!
Tony Floyde – Senior project manager
Tony has been a project lead within the estates team for a number of important builds around the Trust during his time here including the new G10 ward which is due to open later this month.
Before beginning his career with us in the NHS, Tony was in the military which included serving in Northern Ireland. Tony has always held a soft spot for the NHS as his mum worked for it for over 30 years and himself has received a lot of support from hospitals across the country.
Tony said: “The NHS has looked after me since my military discharge, carrying out surgery on my lower back which I damaged serving in Northern Ireland. In 2009 I had three ribs and the upper lobe of my right lung removed after I was diagnosed with cancer and I received excellent care.
“I didn’t realise I shared my birthday with the NHS until I started working at the Trust. I love seeing projects I have worked on being used to help people every single day. I’m looking forward to celebrating my birthday this year with my wife and family including my two grandchildren.”
Tony’s favourite birthday cake is a rich fruit cake with walnuts inside!
Tony lives in Manningtree
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