Devon GPs celebrate 65 years of the NHS

Doctors in Devon are celebrating the 65th birthday of a “national treasure” today – the NHS.

Since the NHS launched on 5 July 1948 it has continually developed and in April this year groups of GPs and clinicians were given the responsibility of buying most healthcare services, including acute hospitals and mental health services.

In Devon, the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is made up of member GP practices, was set up, giving clinicians and patients more of a say in local healthcare development to get services right for their communities.

The CCG’s mission is to make sure everyone has access to high-quality sustainable services that promote wellbeing and care when people are unwell.

Dr John Womersley, a GP from Ilfracombe and chair of the CCG’s Northern Locality, said: “The NHS was set up 65 years ago to make services that prevent, diagnose and treat illness available to everyone in the country. It has continually grown since then and has really become a national treasure.

“The NHS is now undergoing the biggest organisational change in its history and most of its budget is now in the hands of GP-led CCGs.

“In Devon the CCG’s vision is healthy people, living healthy lives in healthy communities and we want to achieve this by involving patients, clinicians and our staff in decisions about healthcare developments in our local communities.

“There are many ways people can get involved in healthcare in Devon and we’d encourage them to visit our CCG website at www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk to find out more.”

Dr David Jenner, chair of the CCG’s Eastern Locality, remarked at the achievements of the NHS over the last 65 years.

“Since the birth of the NHS there have been many significant healthcare developments including chemotherapy treatments for cancer, organ transplants, keyhole surgery and many more,” he said.

“While the NHS has been so successful in the past we know that demand on it is increasing as people live longer and have more complex needs so we must look at ways to ensure we meet this challenge.

“We are the largest CGG in the country and we intend to use our size for the maximum benefit of local people.

“We also want to design services that can, wherever possible, be delivered when, where and how people choose.”