Themes: celebrating the NHS; caring for others; working together; service.
Summary: 5 July 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the NHS (National Health Service). The NHS is founded on the principle of high-quality healthcare being available to all, free at the point of delivery, regardless of income or other considerations. This assembly celebrates the work of the NHS, which we all rely on at some point in our lives, and explores how it is funded and how many different people come together to make it work.
Resources: The framework to / print (pdf) and an image of the letters NHS to display.
The video
Krish's Mum: Almost ready to go home, Krish?
Krish: Yes. The doctor says my broken ankle is healing well, so I don't need to stay in hospital anymore.
Nurse May: Well that is excellent news.
Krish: I have a quick question, though. I keep seeing this blue rectangle with the letters N, H and S on it everywhere. What does that mean?
Nurse May: That's a very good question. It's the logo for the National Health Service or NHS.
Krish: What's the NHS?
Nurse May: It provides everyone in the country with free care when you get ill or injured or need a check-up from a doctor. The NHS pays for this hospital you're in now and it paid for us to take care of you and fix your leg.
Krish: Ah-ha.
Nurse May: But the NHS doesn't just look after hospitals, it pays for other things as well, like the ambulance that brought you here, any medicines you need to take and the doctor who is going to check up on you over the next few weeks. And once your leg is better, the NHS will also pay for your next trip to the dentist.
Krish: Wow, the NHS does so many different things, but how can it all be free?
Nurse May: It's paid for by taxes. That means that everyone who has a job and earns money in the UK gives a bit of their money to the government, some of which is then given to pay for the NHS. Then anyone who gets sick or breaks a bone can get the help when they need it. So you see, it's not really free because we're all helping to pay for it every day.
Krish: It must cost a lot of money.
Nurse May: It does.
Krish: I have 50p pocket money in my pocket. I could give that to the NHS to help.
Nurse May: That's very kind of you, Krish. But don't worry, you keep that. Maybe when you grow up and get a job, you might pay taxes to help pay for the NHS.
Krish: Do you pay taxes, mum to help pay for the NHS?
Krish's Mum: I do, yes.
Krish: Does the NHS work all over the world?
Nurse May: No, it's only in the UK. So England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Other countries have different ways of caring for people. In some countries, you might pay for care at the time when you get ill or hurt yourself and in others you might save some money each month.
Krish: Like putting pocket money in a piggy bank.
Nurse May: Yes, a bit like that and then you have the money saved if you suddenly get ill and have to pay for your trip to hospital.
Krish's Mum: How many people work for the NHS?
Nurse May: Oh a lot. There are more than a million people who work for the NHS all over the country.
Krish: I met a doctor who was from India.
Nurse May: Yes, people come from all over the world to work for the NHS.
Krish: Amazing.
Nurse May: And the NHS looks after us from the moment we are born until we are very old.
Krish: Wow, that's a long time.
Nurse May: Yes, it is. And when you're young, you need different care from when you're old. So we have lots of different experts who have lots of different skills. You've probably met a few of them while you've been here.
Krish: I did, I met the paramedics who brought me in an ambulance. All the people who helped do the operation when they fixed my ankle and all the different doctors and nurses here on the ward.
Nurse May: And let's not forget all the other people who make sure everything in the hospital runs smoothly and safely, like the cooks, the porters and the cleaners.
Krish: So many people, it must be hard work caring for people.
Nurse May: It can be very hard work, but we all know that we are helping make people better and that's a very good feeling.
Krish's Mum: We should let Nurse May get back to work, Krish.
Krish: Well I have had the best time in hospital. Thank you to everyone for looking after me.
Nurse May: You're welcome. Now your mum will have to be your nurse until your ankle is fully better. But we'll be here if you need us again,
Krish: Great time for home. I can't wait to show my friends my cast.
The video is taken from our series Nurturing Nurses but is also suitable as a stand-alone resource. It is broadly appropriate for all age groups, but particularly aimed at KS1. For resources aimed at older groups see 'Where next">