Thank you NHS

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well in these uncertain times. In the UK, lockdown is apparently easing, but I’ll be staying put for a while. Being a writer, there is always work to do, so much so, I can’t seem to get to that next painting I’ve been mulling over for a while now.

The streets are still filled with colourful rainbows and the odd ‘Thank you’ sign plastered in bay windows – credit to all key workers for keeping things running, and to the NHS. Time to share this delightful picture, drawn by my nephew, Daniel Oldham, aged 8 at the time of creating his masterpiece.

By Daniel Oldham, 8 years old

With coronavirus shining a light on social disparities, I think how much wider those disparities would be if we didn’t have a healthcare system accessible to all. The Thursday evening ritual of clapping has ceased, after all, applauding the NHS should never have been used as a political tool. In our house, with Kate being a nurse, and just generally appreciating the community spirit, the weekly turnout of neighbours was quite an emotional thing. So, I caught the last clap on this amateur video: IMG_1307

I think about all the conversations and social media posts, where lessons learned from lockdown were highlighted, and resolutions for the future made. People were forced to stop, to take stock, to prioritise, to appreciate their communities, the natural world around them, simple things like preparing a meal from scratch. We watched the rivers get cleaner, and wildlife boldly enter deserted towns. I hope our good intentions don’t turn out to be some passing phase, I hope we remember all the positive aspects from slowing things down.

And I hope we remember to keep valuing our NHS. After all, where would so many of us be without it. Me personally, I would be no-where; a fact I won’t forget. In the UK, the staff of London’s Royal Brompton Hospital have been at the centre of the pandemic, treating the sickest Covid patients, saving lives. Last year they saved mine, and I try to appreciate that every day, whether it’s hanging out with my cat among the flowers: