#NHS70 is the day for everyone to come together to celebrate the incredible institution that is the NHS, and to give thanks for the millions of lives begun, improved and saved in the hospitals, surgeries and clinics we're all so fortunate to have access to.
Personally, I hope each and every staff member - from surgeons, doctors, nurses, researchers and paramedics to the support staff who clean, cook, drive, handle the mountains of paperwork and so much more - feels valued beyond words, especially given the difficulties they face and the conditions in which they work.
Today is a day of celebration for sure, and that is very important, but could it also be a day for the media to promote a slightly different angle?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could use days like this and the recent #armedforcesday to encourage some of the next generation to visualise their future in a new light? For people to realise that the real heroes and heroines aren’t the stars of shows such as Love Island, but those who dedicate their working lives to helping others.
Whether it’s a career in the medical profession, the fire service, the police force or one of the other invaluable services, wouldn’t the world be a better place if those brave enough to commit crimes changed direction and got their buzzes from enriching lives rather than ruining them? If respect was gained by being kind and having morals, rather than physically, emotionally or mentally hurting vulnerable people?
But where do we start? How do we persuade youngsters to look up to people like 21-year-old Tasha Starkey - one of the paramedics featured on BBC1’s Ambulance, and the youngest on the scene of the Belgrave Middleway crash?
Happy birthday NHS. You may not be perfect, but so many loved ones wouldn’t be here today without you. You’ve got a lot to be proud of, and we've got a lot to be grateful for 🐾