July 5, 1948 marks a proud moment in British history.
It was on this day that the first National Health Service (NHS) hospital opened its doors to the public. The facility in Davyhulme, Manchester, heralded a new post-war era of free healthcare for all, regardless of income.
Nurses at what was then known as Park Hospital, now Trafford General, lined up outside, forming a guard of honour as Minister for Health, Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan, arrived to inaugurate the NHS.
In a 1952 essay, Bevan declared that the NHS was part of the "texture of our national life", highlighting the "massive contribution" it had by then already made to the "equipment of a civilised society".
Seventy-five years on from its proud beginnings, however, Trafford General, like many hospitals up and down the country, is facing an ongoing battle against cuts and inadequate funding that would no doubt have dismayed Bevan.
But a Trafford General Hospital spokesperson insisted Nye Bevan 'would be very impressed' with the care being provided and added the site has seen a recent £14million investment to expand wards.
During his visit to Davyhulme, Bevan shook hands with the very first NHS patient, a 13-year-old girl by the name of Sylvia Diggory, who'd been admitted with a kidney condition. Even at her young age, Sylvia had felt the weight of the occasion.
Decades later, in 1998, Sylvia told BBC News: "I had ear-wigged at adults' conversations and I knew this was a great change that was coming about and that most people could hardly believe this was happening.
"You know, it was such a stride forward, not a step forward in social structure, that most people were really in a daze about it."
Sadly, the "birthplace of the NHS" has been dealt a number of painful blows over the years.
Cllr Jo Harding, who has a background in health and social care, has represented the local ward of Urmston for 12 years and lived there for 40.
A decade ago, Jo found herself fighting to protect vital maternity services at Trafford General after its 'excellent' care help0ed save her life during the birth of her daughter in 2004.
Speaking with the Mirror, Jo recalled: "I remember the midwife, Greta. I had an emergency section. I had really excellent treatment, the same when my daughter had to attend paediatrics there.
"From a personal point of view, it's on my doorstep, where I could always go, and get excellent treatment."
As a new councillor back in 2011, Jo began hearing "lots of rumours" about changes afoot. It soon emerged that things were worse than anyone had expected.
Jo recalled: "What was presented to us was that the hospital was too small to survive as it is, the accident and emergency will have to go, the new intensive care unit, which had just a £1 million investment in it, and the paediatric observation assessment unit - all of those critical services on the doorstep, had to go."
Knowing the "sentimental place" Trafford General held in people's hearts, Jo set up the Save Trafford General campaign alongside fellow community organisers, petitioning, holding vigils, and attending consultation meetings.
Despite putting up "a good fight", the acquisition still went ahead, and the accident and emergency department was closed down, much to locals' dismay.
Many feared this would pile additional pressure on other accident and emergency departments, with patients forced to travel further afield for treatment. For Jo, this development served as a warning that Trafford General was not "exempt" despite its revered status.
In the years since, Jo has seen huge changes at Trafford General, both good and bad. The hospital has lost its maternity services, paediatric observation assessments, and intensive care, but is understood to be "doing brilliant work around orthopaedics and electives".
Although Jo isn't against change and progress in the NHS, and understands the argument for larger teaching hospitals that can provide centres of excellence, she believes district general hospitals still have an important role, especially with an ageing population.
Jo argued: "What shouldn't have to happen is that people are having to wait longer, and what starts off as a knee problem becomes significantly worse because they're waiting years and years.
"So I'm all down with modernising and technology, but when actually people are beginning to suffer because they're travelling further and waiting longer, that's not really modernising for the better."
Trafford General is still held in "high regard" in Trafford, and Jo will often hear positive stories in her role as local councillor. The more negative ones however tend to be about wait times.
In January this year, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated that between 300 and 500 people were dying each week in the UK, due to delays with urgent and emergency care.
As previously reported by the Messenger Newspaper, around one in six residents of Greater Manchester are currently waiting for planned hospital care.
Trafford General Hospital now set to receive funding to expand treatment services and address lengthy waiting lists, however, Jo remains skeptical as to the effectiveness of this, and believes the real answer lies in looking at UK healthcare as "a whole system", where public health, social care, and preventative care are adequately funded.
She added: "In a post-covid world, and in a world where we've already been struggling with workforce and recruitment, that is going to be huge, and it's not only Trafford that can address this issue."
Prior to the formation of the NHS, hospitals were mostly run either by charities or local authorities, and access to healthcare was largely based on a person's ability to pay for their treatment.
For many, that meant forgoing a significant chunk of their wages, and hefty medical bills often dragged families into debt for many years. Nowadays, access is still a crucial issue, with many people waiting a long time for GP appointments, which can be very difficult to book.
Trafford General will always be associated with that first hopeful day of the NHS, but it has also come to reflect the enormous challenges faced by this most vital of British institutions.
According to Jo: "Whilst we are celebrating the fact that the NHS was created 75 years ago, we're hugely proud of that, and we've all got stories and anecdotes to tell, of lives saved, and the hope that it's given.
"I think we all need to be clear about the risk of the state that it's in, around funding and workforce. I hope that in another 75 years, people are saying, 'brilliant, happy birthday to the NHS, and look how great it's doing'.
"I fear at the minute, because we've got striking clinicians, we've got huge waiting lists, we've got funding issues, we can celebrate its inauguration, but we can't celebrate the state of some of it right now, and we know that the NHS itself needs some TLC, and hopefully, with a Labour government, we'll get that."
Jo is still very much keeping an eye on things at Trafford General, making sure it "maintains its reputation as a vibrant local hospital", and remains in regular contact with staff.
So far, things seem to be going "okay", with staff enjoying their work there. Jo has however cautioned people not to just hold "affection for bricks and mortar", and to think about the wider healthcare system instead.
She explained: "I think in Trafford we're hugely proud that Nye Bevan created the NHS here, but actually, it's not just affection for bricks and mortar, what we want is a system that works for all.
"Free at the point of use. People can get the care when they need it, the workforce feels valued. It's the whole system that has to work for everybody."
In April this year, former nurse Mark Cubbon was named as group chief executive at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), which covers Trafford General.
Cubbon previously worked as a nurse at three Manchester hospitals, including Trafford General, and appeared hopeful for the future at the time of his appointment.
A spokesperson for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Trafford General Hospital, said: “We’re sure that Nye Bevan would be very impressed with the incredible care still being provided at Trafford General, and its place as an essential part of the largest hospital trust in the country.
“Trafford has seen recent investment such as nearly £14 million to significantly expand our wards, letting even more patients have their orthopaedic operations there. The ELM Unit was a £3 million investment just three years ago to help patient recover from fractured hips, and is now in the top 10 best outcomes in the whole country.
The hospital’s also home to our new Trafford Elective Hub, which is playing a key part in helping us improve access times for patients who need more minor operations. It takes patients from all over our trust catchment area, helping free up resources at the theatres which have to deal with more major or complex procedures.
“The Urgent Care Centre has a strong track record of seeing patients with minor ailments quickly, while the team there can use our new electronic patient record system to quickly and safely get advice on issues from the many specialists in our acute hospitals.
“We were very proud to see the eyes of the world on Trafford again on 5 July, and we’re really looking forward to celebrating all the achievements of staff again when the NHS turns 100.”
Do you have a story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
