Celebrating the NHS's milestone 75th anniversary, NHS Somerset unveiled an emotional tribute to the enduring legacy of its healthcare services, authored by former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers.

However, a familiar face to Glastonbury residents emerged as a highlight of the evening: their very own GP, Rebecca Hall.

The commemoration, which took place on 24th June, comprised a stirring film and a poem recited live on the iconic Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival. Representing the dedicated 1.26 million-strong NHS workforce, GP Rebecca Hall was one of the local Somerset NHS staff members sharing the stage with Chambers to recite the poem to a crowd of around 140,000 attendees.

Joining her on the stage was Miles Chambers, physiotherapist Ben Matthews, and children's nurse Angela Reece from the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

Reflecting on the experience, GP Rebecca Hall, who works at Glastonbury Surgery in Feversham Lane, said "We had an absolute blast at Glastonbury Festival. The poem moved me in ways I hadn't anticipated. There was a deafening silence among the 140,000-strong crowd at the Pyramid Stage as we delivered the poem and screened the film. The audience's solidarity and the subsequent roar of applause was a testament to the NHS's significant role. It was simply breath-taking."

Formed amidst great uncertainty in 1948, the NHS was established with the core principle of offering universal health care, free at the point of delivery. Today, even as a vast amount of transformation has taken place, the NHS remains a beacon of dependability for the English public, treating an average of 1.3 million people daily.

In Somerset, the NHS is represented by 17,000 individuals from over 200 nationalities, who contribute their expertise in varied roles. They include midwives, GPs, pharmacists, porters, cleaners, receptionists, doctors, nurses, and many others, tirelessly ensuring smooth operations during these challenging times.

Dr Hall added: "I love being a GP – it's a massive privilege to be part of people's lives when they are at their most vulnerable. I love the connection with patients, learning from them and being inspired by them.

"We are very lucky in Somerset to have a rich and diverse community and landscape. I love exploring what makes my patients happy and working out together how we can build on this…. whether it is knitting premature baby hats, growing broccoli, singing in a rock choir or practising mindfulness while strolling through a bird reserve at sunset. I have found my place alongside the brilliant social prescribers and health coaches who make such a huge difference to the lives of our patients. I am inspired to practice a more sustainable model of healthcare where we work alongside patients to support them, while also allowing them to make informed choices."

Another NHS Somerset representative, Ben Matthews, is a Physiotherapist and First Contact Practitioner. Matthews, who chose a career in physiotherapy due to personal experience, now runs clinics across eastern Somerset and works as a First Contact Practitioner in Primary Care. He proudly declared, "The NHS for me is inherently British. Working in the NHS always feels as though you are part of a team, your small one is part of a bigger team which is part of an institution."

Angela Reece, a Nurse for Children Looked After at the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, also shared her journey in the NHS. She has served the NHS for 38 years, transitioning from a general nurse to a midwife, health visitor, and now a children's nurse. Reece remarked on her fulfilment, saying, "I know that I am happy and blessed in my life and as a result of the career I chose."

The poem by Miles Chambers encapsulates the essence of the NHS's purpose and ethos, highlighting its diversity, achievements, and unyielding dedication to public service. It commemorates the relentless effort, selflessness, and compassion that NHS staff exhibit, regardless of their specific role. From the consultant to the cleaner, the porter to the nurse, the NHS's story is a tapestry of personal sacrifice and collective achievement, woven together by the common thread of care.

NHS 75th birthday Poem by Miles Chambers

Pause for a moment, just for a minute,

Think of the NHS.

Tell me what do you see?

I see… an army of men and

women dedicated to you and me,

Caring from Somerset to the Isles of Sicily.

The place you call when you're in pain,

I see humanity, I see care.

I see the people who are always there.

I see their courage, in an emergency,

When there's tears and it's very bloody.

I see 75 years of unparalleled,

medical advancements.

Admired around the globe.

An institution.

Free to everyone whether you're rich or poor,

Young or old.

I see people rising to the challenge.

Tuberculosis, treated!

Polio, vaccinated!

Babies, incubated!

I see champions being clapped on,

fighting an invisible enemy

"Covid" was our biggest adversary!

I see 350 different vocations,

all of them heroes

The pharmacist, the oncologist

The receptionist, the pathologist.

The nurses, the doctors,

The cleaners, the porters.

Treating mothers, fathers,

sons and daughters.

I see you and me,

Just like us, yet they came from distant seas,

the NHS is their family.

From Jamaica or New Delhi,

they came here for us.

They were a vital growth of our medical body.

Part of the hands that bring remedy.

Those hands that caressed the pulse as it passes,

Those hands that hold the other end of the phone, when you're all alone.

The hands that lift,

The hands that lower,

Those hands that steer the wheel in an emergency,

Those hands that pull new life into reality,

Those hands that shelter until the babe can breathe easily.

Those hands that care,

The hands that heal

These hands are blessed .

These hands make up the NHS.