Street art celebrates NHS 75th birthday

NHS organisations in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire have teamed up with a local Bristol street artist to create an inspiring new mural celebrating the 75th birthday of the health service.

The artwork on the Bristol Dental Hospital, on the corner of Upper and Lower Maudlin Street, has been painted throughout the birthday week (3-7 July) to mark the anniversary of the NHS’s creation on 5 July 1948. An identical version will also be created within the Women & Children’s Quarter at Southmead Hospital.

In the piece, Bristol artist Hasan Kamil (@the_hass) pays tribute to the achievements of the NHS and the commitment and dedication of health service staff, while looking forward to a future in which the service continues to put patients first.

Drawing on ideas and suggestions from local patients and staff, the artwork features three main characters representing the past, present and future of the service: a doctor from the 1950s, a modern-day hospital consultant and a mother and baby. Behind them other figures, including porters and community healthcare staff, highlight the wide range of roles that make up the modern NHS.

In the background, HMT Empire Windrush references the strong links of many local NHS staff to the Windrush generation and an oak tree is included to signify the permanence and strength of the NHS.

Chair of the local NHS Integrated Care Board, Jeff Farrar, speaking on behalf of local NHS partners, said: “The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area is well-known nationally and internationally for its thriving street art scene so a mural was an obvious choice for us to mark the NHS 75th anniversary.

“There is so much pride locally in the NHS and its staff, and hope and optimism for the service’s future, and we’re delighted that Hass has been able to capture that sentiment in his artwork.

“We hope it will remain in place for the next 75 years as a legacy for future generations.”

Hasan Kamil said: “This has been a great project to work on with such an inspiring theme. The NHS is one of our country’s greatest achievements and I’m proud to have played a part in marking its 75th anniversary.”