The Mayor of Islington, Councillor Gary Heather, hosted a celebration of the NHS’s 75th birthday at the Town Hall on Friday 7 July, 2023.

Counsellor Heather said he wanted to celebrate the event because of the important role the NHS plays in our lives.

Islington Keep Our NHS Public (IKONP) was there, along with members of the NHS from across Islington. Councillors Clare Jeapes, Tricia Clarke and Nurullah Turan, who all have a special interest in health, also attended, as did MP Jeremy Corbyn.

Mayor of Islington, Councillor Gary Heather

It was one of many actions that have taken place this week across the country to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NHS.

IKONP ran stalls across Islington on Saturday 1 July to gather messages to send to Rishi Sunak about what we want for the NHS for the next 75 years.

Highbury&Islington

The messages were clear: we need to go back to the founding principles of the NHS. We want a universal, comprehensive health service, publicly provided, publicly accountable, publicly financed through general taxation, free at the point of use, with clinical decisions about treatment taken without regard to ability to pay.