Celebrating NHS 75 across R&I

Wednesday 5 July 2023 marks 75 years of the National Health Service (NHS).

Treating more than one million people each day in England, the NHS touches all of our lives. Trafford General Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the birthplace of the NHS and first opened in 1948 by Aneurin Bevan.

Thank you to all Research and Innovation (R&I) colleagues across MFT who are dedicated to the vision of the NHS and support MFT’s aim in driving continuous improvement in the care our patients receive through clinical research and ground-breaking innovations.

As part of the NHS 75 birthday plans, the trust ran a 75 for 75 campaign with MFT colleagues sharing what inspired them to join the NHS, in 75 words.

Below, colleagues across R&I at MFT who took part in the campaign share their inspiration and pride in being part of the NHS and MFT which you can watch below.

Celebrating #NHS75, other R&I colleagues shared a written quote for the 75 for 75 campaign on their pride in being part of the NHS and what it means to them to be part of research and innovation.

Isil Mirzanli, Enterprise Zone Growth Manager, Research and Innovation at MFT

“I joined the NHS back in 2015, working as a healthcare assistant after university to gain experience and work with patients. Working for the NHS was always the goal, the opportunity to care for patients and work towards the next medical break-through. Being part of MFT, I’m able to do just that. I’ve worked as a clinician and now with the Innovation Team, working with partners to use cutting-edge research to create treatments for patients.”

Francisca Fernandes, Senior Clinical Research Nurse, Wythenshawe Hospital

“I joined the NHS in 2013 to explore and expand my knowledge, skills, and career path after working in the community for ten years. Just over a year has passed since I began my job in research at MFT. In this role, you have a one-of-a-kind chance to truly impact people’s lives through research. My job is incredibly rewarding as we are not only saving lives, but also enhancing people’s quality of life on a global scale.”

Elizabeth Mainwaring, Research Support Manager, Research and Innovation
“Growing up in the USA, without continuous health insurance my family could not always get medical care at the point of need. When we moved to the UK, I wanted to work in the NHS because I understand first-hand the importance of its values. Working in research and innovation I am also proud to work in a role where I can contribute in some way to the future of the NHS.”

As part of the NHS birthday celebrations, each staff member at MFT will receive an NHS 75 pin badge, funded by Staff Lotteries.