On July 5, back in 1948, one of the greatest institutions in this country was founded: the NHS. Providing millions of people up and down the country with free healthcare, the NHS is a cornerstone of British society. And to celebrate the service’s 75th anniversary, buildings and landmarks around the country will ‘light up blue’. Two years ago, for the NHS’s 73rd anniversary, over 70 landmarks around the country lit up to commemorate the occasion. This year’s anniversary lighting, on the evening o July 5, is well on the way to smashing that number.
Where to see the sky light up blue
Among the buildings in London that will light up blue, are the lastminute.com London Eye (which does love any excuse to dress up!), Alexandra Palace, Battersea Power Station, the House of Commons, Wembley Stadium, The Shard, and plenty more. Other national landmarks that will light up blue include Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, The Roman Baths, and Blackpool Tower, to name just a few. Together they’ll turn the skyline blue to honour a service that works incredibly hard every day.
In London alone, the NHS deals with 13,000 A&E attendances each day. Each day the service delivers 300 babies in the capital. Its effects can be felt in every corner of the city. And in spite of that, the service continues to face underfunding and under-resourcing, coupled with huge demand and staff shortages. Now, obviously, the night-time illuminations won’t solve that issue. But we can only hope that a visible shared symbol of the nation’s appreciation for the institution will remind the current government how important the service is.
A full list of the buildings that are confirmed to be lighting up blue for NHS75 tomorrow night (July 5) can be found here. Everyone is encouraged to take photos and share the moment using the hashtags #NHS75 and #LightUpBlue.