Today (July 5) marks 75 years of the world’s best-known health system, the National Health Service.
Maintaining its status as a leader in healthcare advances has been achieved by ground-breaking surgeries, vital clinical trials, and radical reforms.
A service will be held at Westminster Abbey in London to pay tribute to NHS staff and patients where the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will be joined by 1,500 health service staff, politicians and other supporters of the NHS.
To celebrate, we have gathered the NHS heroes across south east London, sent in by our News Shopper Facebook readers.
From one-of-a-kind daughters to community doctors, NHS heroes come in all shapes and forms and deserve to be celebrated today.
Michael Bearsby-Cook said: “Darent Valley Hospital, they've served our family well from when it opened until the present day.
“From births to deaths, and everything else in between, they've served us with absolute professionalism and politeness.”
Samantha Cooper said: “Probably no longer with us, but a surgeon called Dr Qureshi, who was working at Guys Hospital in 1993.
“That year he performed an experimental heart operation on me (then aged five) to save my heart, which was defective due to a condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosus.
“He fitted a Raskind Device into it using keyhole surgery.”
Ericka Leigh Edwards-Balanco said: “Bexley and Greenwich children’s community nursing team, who help look after lots of children in their homes and keep them out of hospital, a great team.”
Mark Owlett said: “All the girls on the Pinckney ward at St George’s. Gave my son the best care they could to fight leukemia.”
Nicola Anderson said: “I will always be thankful for the incredible and dedicated medical team at Evelina London neonatal unit, without them I would not have got 17 days of beautiful memories with my son before he sadly passed away, I will always be thankful for them.”
Ann Stewart said: “My daughter Jo Gardner is my hero, she's so dedicated and loves he job as a A&E paediatric nurse.”
Eddy Meyers said: “Mr Botha my gastric bypass surgeon, really believe I wouldn't still be around without him and his team.
“However, to me they are all special no matter if their contract is with NHS or one of the thousands of contractors.”
Julie Clare said: “Natashia Norton-a worked tirelessly through the pandemic even taking shifts Due to short staffing caught covid twice while working the covid wards and still goes beyond her job to make sure those she cares for are comfortable.”
Katherine Lloyd “Mr Sean Blaney and Mr Kokkinakis (aka Mr Cookie).
“My son (Julius) has been under Sean Blaney's care since he was rushed to Guys with an emergency tracheostomy and diagnosed with a severely narrow airway.
“My son has had multiple complications with his airway resulting in many surgeries; his relationship with Sean Blaney is quite comical.
“Even though my son requires more surgery on his legs, Mr. K and I decided not to do anymore surgery as we are highly concerned that Julius will not recover and would never walk again, even with assistance.
“Also, all the nurses that have helped Julius throughout his life.
“They deserve better pay and working conditions. “ Amanda Denny said: “A consultant called Mr. Forrest from Sydenham Children's Hospital without whom I would not be here.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here