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Today marks 73 years since the NHS first officially began, with figures and landmarks across the entire United Kingdom paying respect to the health and social care staff who worked constantly over the last year during the pandemic.

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Earlier in the day, a service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral to honour NHS workers, commemorating all of the contributions to the country during the Covid-19 pandemic. Those attending included the Prime Minister, the new Health Secretary, and the Duke of Cambridge.

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Prince William was set to attend with his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, but went alone as she was forced to self isolate after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

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The service was followed later in the day by a Buckingham Palace tea party, further celebrating the combined efforts of the NHS health and social care staff from the start of the pandemic.

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Hosting the tea party will be the Duke of Cambridge and is set to pay tributes to the work of those who went above and beyond.

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Other parts of the United Kingdom are also honouring the NHS anniversary, with significant landmarks being lit up in blue on Saturday evening.

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A total of 70 buildings, including the Liver building in Liverpool, the Wembley arch, Salisbury Catherdral and vaccination centres across the country, will all shine a blue light for health and social care workers.

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The NHS Chief People Officer, Perana Issar, spoke about the tragic loss over the last year. She said, “Each of the colleagues who sadly died while caring for and protecting patients represents an irreplaceable gap in a family and a workplace.”

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“While this is a private event for families and some NHS colleagues, I encourage everyone to take a moment on Saturday to reflect and remember.”

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Finishing with the reasons for the celebration. She ended on “The best way for everyone to say thank you to NHS staff and other key workers is to join the tens of millions of others who have so far had their first and second dose of the Covid-19 vaccination, and book your jabs today.”

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We would personally like to take a moment to thank all of the NHS health and social care workers ourselves, from the nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants, and many more who worked so hard to help our country through these tragic events.

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