University to mark NHS’s 70th Birthday with first shared social history

21 Sep 2017

The University will create a multimedia resource of the National Health Service, marking the institution’s 70th anniversary, thanks to £785k National Lottery funding

The Centre for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine (CHSTM) has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the ‘From Cradle to Grave: The NHS at 70’ project.

The £785,000 grant will allow the multi-partner project to train volunteers from a range of ages and backgrounds to gather stories from the NHS’s patients and workers as well as politicians and the general public, recording its unique place in everyday, post-war British life. 

Many of the health service’s first patients and workers, when it was established in 1948, are now in their 80s and 90s, and the 70th anniversary of the NHS presents one of the last opportunities to record their stories. 

160 people, young and old, from all walks of life, will be trained to gather stories and artefacts from the NHS’ 70-year history. 70 young people aged 14-25 will act as Community Reporters, filming stories in their local area. These testimonies will contribute to a multimedia, publicly accessible record of the NHS, filling existing gaps in its history, and recording the personal stories that make the service so unique. 

The project will also create a touring exhibition, a programme of events and 40 minute feature film. 

Commenting on the award, Project Director Stephanie Snow said: “We are thrilled to have received National Lottery funding. The project has huge potential to transform engagement with the NHS’s history across the UK and beyond through digital tools, and through the contributions of volunteers and communities. 

"The project partnership allows us, for the first time, to work together to create a shared story about the NHS." 

Ros Kerslake, HLF Chief Executive, said: “This fantastic project will capture the rich heritage of the NHS, as it reaches its 70th birthday. We were particularly impressed by the number and range of people who will be involved in the project, receiving training to capture and present the story of this much loved national treasure for future generations."

Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: “This project is great news and the funding is a mark of the high regard with which Manchester is viewed in healthcare. We look forward to working with colleagues in the University to take forward this important work.”