Born in the NHS

A friend who is 62 today is very active in campaigning against the so-called "reforms" to the NHS promoted by the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley - reforms which threaten to undermine the whole ethos of free and universal healthcare in Britain. So here is a little song by way of a birthday present for her.

Born in the NHS

I was born in Britain after the War.

My parents knew what they were fighting for;

It wasn’t King and Country they aimed to save,

But to get a Welfare State from cradle to grave.

I was born in the NHS;

Nye Bevan spoke

And my mother said, “Yes,

I want to give birth in the NHS.”

I don’t want choice in 57 varieties,

I want high quality not Big Society.

I put my trust in my doctor and nurse,

Don’t make them put their budgets first.

I was born in the NHS;

Nye Bevan spoke

And my mother said, “Yes,

I want to give birth in the NHS.”

Nye Bevan promised us, loud and clear,

A civilised community, free from fear;

So Mr Lansley, don’t make it a mess –

It’s mine, it’s yours, it’s our NHS.

I was born in the NHS;

Nye Bevan spoke

And my mother said, “Yes,

I want to give birth in the NHS.”

© Matthew Edwards 6 April 2010

From Matthew for Corrie to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Note: A recent Diary article in the London Review of Books by Andrew O’Hagan  tellingly contrasted the forthright clarity of the language used by Bevan in introducing his National Health Bill in 1946 with the obfuscatory prose used by Andrew Lansley in his proposals for reforming the NHS. While Bevan's speech is worth reading in its entirety there are some resonant phrases which deserve to be recalled at this time:-

            “I believe it is repugnant to a civilised community for hospitals to have to rely upon private charity. I believe we ought to have left hospital flag days behind. I have always felt a shudder of repulsion when I have seen nurses and sisters who ought to be at their work, and students who ought to be at their work, going about the streets collecting money for the hospitals.”

 And

            “... the first evil that we must deal with is that which exists as a consequence of the fact that the whole  thing is the wrong way round. A person ought to be able to receive medical and hospital help without being involved in financial anxiety.”

Matthew Edwards