To mark 75 years since the NHS began, BBC London paid a visit to King's College Hospital
The teaching hospital, based in Denmark Hill, south London, first opened in 1840
The trust is one of the biggest and busiest in the country with 50,000 staff serving about 1 million people
Its specialisms include diabetes, liver disease, sickle cell, neurology, fetal medicine, stroke and blood cancers
We heard from the hospital's staff and patients, as well as other NHS workers from across London
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
We've reached the end of our special NHS at 75 coverage where we've been hearing from staff, patients and volunteers at King's College Hospital and across London
If there are two overall feelings from today, it's pride and optimism.
Proud of what the NHS has achieved over the past 75 years and optimism for its future.
Thank you for joining us.
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
Today is about celebrating all of those who help save lives and there are few who have such an impact as Dr Akash Deep, the hospital's director of Paediatric Intensive Care.
He tells me that "the biggest reward is knowing that we've saved someone's life".
"Seeing a child that you thought wouldn't make it walk through the door smiling makes the job worth it.
"This isn't just a job for me, it is a passion," he says.
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
As we celebrate the NHS today, we must also remember the various problems it faces, including pay disputes which have led to numerous walkouts by staff.
I am talking with some Unison members who are hosting a BBQ outside the hospital to celebrate 75 years.
Michelle, the branch secretary, tells me that she has worked for the NHS for over 25 years.
"It's important that we can celebrate the NHS and continue its legacy.
"We can only do that by respecting our workers and ensuring they are properly paid," she explains.
The government has said walkouts "are hugely disruptive for patients and put pressure on other NHS staff".
Read more about the most recent strike announced by senior doctors here.
Thomas Magill
BBC London
I've now headed over to Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith.
Here nurses are enjoying a little bit of pampering from the Wingman’s Project to say thank you as part of the anniversary celebrations.
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
Caitlin O'Callaghan is an assistant psychologist at the Centre for Anxiety Disorder and Trauma.
She's been working at the national specialist centre for a year and says she's "optimistic for the future of the NHS".
"I think there's a lot of hope and positivity around young people working in the NHS, and we are the future," she says.
"Everyone is so passionate about what they are doing and helping people deal with challenging mental heath is a real privilege."
Having seen what's currently involved in a normal day at King's, let's have a look at how things looked both inside and out of the hospital over previous decades.
Image source, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustA King's maternity ward is decorated for Christmas in 1920
Image source, Getty ImagesDoctors and nurses in the King's operating theatre in 1914
Image source, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustOutside King's College Hospital in the 1950s
Image source, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustPatients and staff in the Twining ward in 1930
Image source, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation TrustQueen Elizabeth II was driven to the hospital in 1953
On Monday, BBC London's Karl Mercer spent several hours meeting hospital staff as they went about their work at King's.
Thomas Magill
BBC London
Outside St George's Hospital in Tooting, volunteers are holding a bake sale to raise funds for St George's Hospital Charity.
Chief executive Jacqueline Totterdell was among those sampling the goods.
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
The Reverend Alfred Banya is the lead chaplain at King's. He offers pastoral and spiritual support to patients and their family and friends at the hospital.
"We are available 24/7 and we are always prepared for the unexpected," he explains.
Mr Banya adds that it's not just patients he offers support to, it's staff as well.
"If staff experience something traumatic, we are also there for them," he says.
"I'm not here to impose my faith, I am here to support everyone and be by their side."
Earlier we heard from hospital security guard Carlos Moonsam who suffered a stroke a year ago while on duty and was given life-saving treatment by King's staff including Dr Thomas Booth.
Click on speaker button above to hear more about their story.
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
Adorning the walls in the atrium are tributes of thank yous to hundreds of NHS workers at King's.
Oliver Long, a consultant anaesthetist at the hospital says seeing the pictures and words of gratitude every day makes him feel "incredibly proud of the NHS and this hospital in particular.
"I'm grateful we have the NHS and we really do stand out with our world class healthcare."
Away from King’s, BBC London has been meeting NHS staff who have spent decades serving the capital.
One such person is Andy Summers, who has worked for the London Ambulance Service for more than 40 years during which he treated
He explains what it’s been like working on the frontline during times like the Brixton riots in 1981 and the Paddington train crash in 1999.
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
We're halfway through our live page coverage and whilst it started off as a quiet morning, it's all hands on deck here in the hospital atrium.
There's a busy flow of people coming in and out with many stopping to talk to us.
The overall sense from patients and staff here is one of proudness. One cleaner tells me that working here is like a "badge of honour", whilst a patient heading for a routine appointment says: "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the doctors working here."
The rain might be pouring down heavily outside, but that hasn't wiped the smile from the staff here and the pride that everyone is bursting with today.
Image source, King's College HospitalLet’s pause for a moment from hearing from staff to look back at some of the key dates in the history of King’s College Hospital:
1840 – The original hospital opened in a disused workhouse close to Lincoln’s Inn Fields in central London
1912 – The hospital moved to its current location in Denmark Hill
1921 - The world’s first voluntary blood donor service was established at King’s
1986 - The first UK blood marrow transplant was performed at the hospital
2018 - King’s became the first UK hospital to treat adults with lymphoma (a type of cancer) using an innovative CAR-T therapy where a patient’s own immune system cells attack their cancer
2020 – The hospital becomes the first in the UK to enrol patients in a trial of Remdesivir for Covid-19, later used successfully in reducing severe illness and hospital admission in vulnerable people
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
Supporting the hardworking staff at the hospital are numerous volunteers.
Adavit Panicker is just 16 years old but has been volunteering at the hospital since December 2022.
He's keen to pursue a career in medicine and says: "There are lots of patients who don't have family or friends by their sides, and that's where I come in.
"Knowing I can put a smile on a patient's face brings me a real sense of fulfilment."
Volunteers at King's range in age from 16 to 87 and Petula Storey, head of volunteering at King's, says that at her hospital 75% of volunteers are under 25.
"It's amazing that people are willing to give up their time for free to help others."
Thomas Magill
BBC London
Here at St George's Hospital in Tooting, the hospital's chair and chief executive have been handing out cupcakes among the staff at the general surgical ward to celebrate the NHS's 75th anniversary.
Nurses have also been preparing for a birthday party on the hospital's general intensive care ward.
The NHS began on 5 July 1948. Listen to brief history of the service from it's founding up to today.
BBC Radio London's Helen Hoddinott looks back at the life of the NHS so far.
Yasmin Rufo
BBC London
The Brixton Chamber Orchestra is playing at various hospital trusts in south London throughout the day as part of the celebrations.
They've been playing outside King's for the past 30 minutes.
Dominic, a trombone player in the orchestra, tells me: "I don't know anybody that doesn't love the NHS, everyone is so proud of it.
"The NHS is very unifying and that's why it's so important that we celebrate a day like today."
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Radio London's Anna O'Neill is spending the morning at Arcadian Gardens Surgery in north London to see how things are going there.
The surgery offers a walk-in service and opened this morning at 8am. Anna says a queue had already formed half an hour before.
Dr Karim, one of the GPs there, says he's already seen over 20 patients and it's only 10.45!
Karl Mercer
Political reporter, BBC London
NHS consultants recently voted in favour of strike action over pay, while junior doctors are also due to walk out for five days.
Caroline Clarke admits the action will mean "waiting lists will get longer" and life saving services are being prioritised to help patients.
"If you need them just dial 999 but it’s really frustrating for Londoners and for everybody in the country," she says.
The NHS London regional director adds: "We don’t want this to be business as usual. We want the government and the unions to get back around the table and keep talking so we can get back to running the NHS at full capacity."
Read more about the strikes here.
