Chief Executive's column - July 2021

Last Sunday was the national Thank You Day, organised by the Together Coalition. This gave us all the opportunity to say thank you to people who have helped and supported us over the last year. It was great to see so many organisations and individuals take part and appreciate their families, friends, colleagues, keyworkers and community, following an exceptionally difficult year for all of us during the coronavirus pandemic. I know for Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) there are many organisations and key workers that have helped us tremendously over the last year and we are very grateful to all of them. 

We also celebrated the NHS ‘birthday’ on Monday, 5 July; 73 years since the foundation of the National Health Service in 1948 and a chance to say a thank you to all our NHS workers. We’ve had an extremely challenging year in the NHS, as has the whole country, but it has also been a year of hope.

Hospitals have cared for around 400,000 seriously ill COVID patients, including more than 100,000 admitted in January alone, along with millions more besides.

At the same time the NHS has rolled out the biggest vaccination programme in health service history, the fastest in Europe and most precise in the world.

This could not have been achieved without the skill and dedication of our staff along with the support of returners, volunteers, other keyworkers and, of course, the public who played their part by following the social distancing rules. Everyone’s contributions have been hugely important. We have said thank you to our staff, our volunteers, and communities for working so hard to deliver the extraordinary rollout.

The NHS Big Tea, organised by NHS Charities Together, also returned on Monday, to coincide with the NHS birthday. This was an opportunity for communities to come together to thank NHS staff and each other for the huge role they played over the last year and show their gratitude to the people who have put themselves on the line to keep us safe.

We contributed to Lincolnshire’s Biggest Virtual Tea Break which featured music from Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Choir and solo performances from our staff. There was also a tea and biscuit themed quiz, before everyone taking part had to get back to work. The money raised during the event will be spent on staff wellbeing projects.  

I would also like to add, that whilst we marked our birthday, we also reflected on and remembered the colleagues, family members and friends we have lost over the last year.

Let’s hope that for the next NHS birthday, we will be able to come together face-to-face and raise a cuppa.