70 Years of the NHS: Honouring Florence Nightingale - Statistician and Medical Pioneer

On Saturday July 21st Derby hosted a public celebration to honour the 70th anniversary of the NHS. The proceedings fittingly commenced with a gathering at Florence Nightingale's statue, London Rd, Derby. The statue was designed by Countess Feodora Gleichen, the first woman member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.

Florence Nightingale's Statue, London Rd, Derby: The statue was built in and was cleaned up in 2017. To read more about the cleaning up of the go to https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/derbys-florence-nightingale-statue-gets-223628

As part of our tribute to Florence's legacy we placed a bunch of brightly coloured flowers at her feet. I am not sure if Florence would approve of our choice in flowers but they added some much needed colour to what has become an almost forgotten area of Derby since the DRI all but closed its doors.

Our humble flowers laid at the feet of Florence Nightingale

We also want to hail Mary Seacole....another pioneer who lacks Florence Nightingale's status and profile but neither her courage or her pioneering spirit. Mary Seacole went to the Crimean War, to help British soldiers. She nursed sick and wounded soldiers. When battles were raging, she gave everyone food, blankets, clean clothes and kindness. The soldiers called her 'Mother Seacole'.

Hail Mary Seacole...We see you. We see you!

Read more about the contribution of both women check out:

https://www.uwl.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Academic-schools/College-of-Nursing-Midwifery-and-Healthcare/Web/PDF/Elizabeth%20Anionwu%20Papers/Mary%20Seacole%20-%20nursing%20care%20in%20many%20lands%20May2012.pdf

As the vision and the ideal of a hard fought for and realised NHS, free at the point of receipt, is being reconfigured...protesters celebrate Florence Nightingale and the NHS and fight to keep the remaining embers from dying...