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Celebrating the NHS Letters from the Canary Islands by Barrie Mahoney

'Writing Inspired by an Island in the Atlantic'

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Celebrating the NHS


We remember and celebrate the foundation of the National Health Service by the Labour Government on 5 July 1948. The NHS, despite its current difficulties with funding, staffing levels and retention of staff, is one of the very few areas that unites most of the country. It is often described as the country’s national religion and supported by most people. Despite current difficulties in accessing treatment, long waiting lists and lack of follow up care, surveys indicate that the founding principles of the NHS, which was to be universal, equitable, comprehensive, high quality, free at the point of delivery and centrally funded, are still supported by most people.

Currently, we are in a period of what many commentators describe as ‘managed decline’ by the current Conservative Government. There are many factors at play here, such as serious reduction in funding levels following the financial crisis, austerity, loss of staff from Europe following Brexit, additional pressures and demands following Covid, as well as deep suspicion by many that some right-wing politicians welcome ‘managed decline’ since they want to see the NHS fail and for it to be replaced by a privatised health service, similar to an insurance based system as deployed in the USA.

This period of remembering and celebration reminds me of the small part that both my father and mother played in the establishment of a cottage hospital within the NHS in 1948. I was born in this hospital, just three years after the NHS was established. Holbeach was a small, largely forgotten village in the Lincolnshire fenlands. The nearest large town is Spalding, which in those days was famous for its bulb industry and the annual Tulip Parade. For seventeen years, I grew up in the house next to Holbeach Hospital where my father, Ronald John Mahoney, was Hospital Secretary or Hospital Administrator, as the job title was renamed. My mother, Phyllis Mahoney was the hospital matron during its early years, but a post that she left in the 1940s to bring up my two elder brothers and myself.

Before its incorporation into the NHS, Holbeach Hospital had an interesting history, and much may be attributed to my father. He opened the building as ‘casual wards’ when he was first appointed in 1937. It was then transformed into an Emergency Hospital during the Second World War, before becoming a fully-fledged NHS hospital when the NHS came into being in 1948. Holbeach Hospital offered both care and surgical procedures by local doctors, as well as for visiting specialist surgeons during the time that I was growing up. I remember it as always being very busy and spoken of highly by the local community.

Although workhouses were intended for local people who were poverty stricken and had no other means of support, casual wards were for those with no fixed abode; they were often called vagrants seeking temporary public relief and stayed in casual wards for brief periods before moving on, and potentially seeking employment; this was the initial purpose of what later came to be known as Holbeach Hospital.

The story of Holbeach Hospital began in 1937 when a building and a house were constructed on a large plot of land just outside Holbeach. The two buildings were very much the only buildings set within a landscape of largely barren fields and very few trees. To the visitor in winter, it must have appeared to be a very alien environment, that is until the beginning of the growing season when fields of vegetables would appear. It was in this environment that my father was appointed as ‘Master’ of the new Holbeach Casual Wards, and my mother as Matron. In addition, my parents were responsible for the running of the local children’s home that was situated in another part of town. Many years ago, I saw plans of the two buildings and was surprised to see that there was nothing other than the two buildings. Roadway access from the lane, pathways, as well as other necessary buildings were all completed under the direction of my father after he was appointed. I guess it was a daunting task, but one that I could imagine my father relishing; he always enjoyed and rose to a challenge.

In the years following my father’s retirement, Holbeach Hospital came under threat of closure. In 1988, with support from the local community and GPs, the hospital was taken over by Holbeach and East Elloe Hospital Trust, which now runs it as a care home, as well as providing beds for use by local GPs. It is to the credit of the community that this valuable resource was recognised and supported in a way that continues to be of benefit to the local community. I am sure that my parents would have been pleased that the hospital continues to be used to support the community in this way.

The NHS currently faces some of the biggest challenges in its history, but my mind goes back to its biggest challenge of all, which was to establish something as complex and expensive as the NHS shortly after the disasters and horrors of wartime when both manpower and finances had been severely decimated. The fact that it ever came into being was an incredible achievement.

I often hear the trite comment trotted out by current politicians that “The NHS is the best in the world”. Clearly, it is not, and data shows that most Western European countries achieve far better results than the UK in the treatment and care of a range of serious of illnesses and disease, such as cancer and heart related issues. Where the UK does well is in providing the widest range of cover for all its people at the lowest cost; in other words, the NHS is largely funded by the goodwill of its staff. I personally benefitted for many years from the care of the Spanish Health Service when I lived in the country; high quality care is not unique to the UK.

I hope and believe that the NHS will continue to develop and thrive over the next 75 years, but only if politicians recognise and take action to ensure that the service is adequately staffed and funded. It is important that staff are valued and rewarded sufficiently to recognise their professionalism and contribution to society. To fail will mean open house to the horrors of a US style privatised service that only the wealthy can afford and will be a loss to everyone.

In researching and writing this article, which is part of a forthcoming book, I realise that there is a lack of information about Holbeach Hospital before it was taken over by the Trust in 1988. If readers have any prior connection with the hospital, or any information before 1988, do please let me know. You can email me at: info@barriemahoney.com


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