The NHS at 75 5 July 2023 marks the 75th birthday of the National Health Service
For the past 75 years the NHS has been a mainstay of our society, offering free health care to everyone in the UK, no matter who they are or where they are from.
This anniversary presents a moment to reflect on how far the NHS has come and to look to the future. Recent years have seen the NHS face unparalleled challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic followed by a decade of austerity, driving waiting lists to new heights and exacerbating longstanding workforce shortages.
The NHS remains our biggest source of national pride, even if the public are worried about its future.
Joint letter with The King's Fund and Nuffield Trust
As the NHS turns 75, the chief executives of the Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund have written to the leaders of the three largest political parties in England, calling on them to make the upcoming general election a decisive break point, by ending years of short termism in NHS policy-making. They warn that the alternative is 'managed decline that gradually erodes the guarantee of safety in place of fear it was designed to create'.
Public polling
Explore how the public views the NHS at 75 and perceptions of what the future may bring.
Podcast
Listen to our series of NHS at 75 podcasts where our chief executive Jennifer Dixon is joined by expert guests to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the NHS
Events
Work with us
We look for talented and passionate individuals as everyone at the Health Foundation has an important role to play.
View current vacanciesThe Q community
Q is an initiative connecting people with improvement expertise across the UK.
Find out more
