NURSES at Hereford Hospital will be left in no doubt that they are much appreciated by Ledbury people, thanks to the signing of a huge card to mark the 70th birthday of the NHS.

The recent event, in Ledbury town centre, was also a landmark event in another way, because it was the first public event ever for the Ledbury and District Labour Party, which was formed in April this year.

Group chairman, former town councillor Maria Mackness, said: "We have a membership of over 200, and there are over 600 members for the whole constituency. The other half of the constituency is Leominster and District.

"We unanimously agreed that we couldn’t let an event like the 70th birthday of the NHS pass by without marking it. The outpourings of thanks for the NHS were overwhelming."

She added: "The card will be presented to Hereford hospital nursing staff. We’re looking forward to future events."

The NHS officially came into being on July 5, 1948, when it was launched by the then health secretary, Aneurin Bevan at Park Hospital in Manchester, today known as Trafford General Hospital.

The principle was to bring together , for the first time ever, doctors, dentists, opticians, nurses and pharmacists "to provide services that are free for all at the point of delivery", all financed through taxation, with people paying into it according to their means.

The mass card signing in Ledbury, was not just a celebration.

A survey of seven questions, asked of local people "revealed an unease felt by the overwhelming number of people with the current state of the service".

Further details at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/biz/political_party/Ledbury-and-District-Labour-Party-192378701544203/