NHS celebrations at 10 Downing Street | News

The 78th birthday of the NHS was marked at a garden party hosted by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street this week, and one of Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust's long-serving colleagues was invited.

Jacqui Tingle, Professional Director of Nursing and Director of Infection, Prevention and Control, was among the hundreds of guests representing health and social care across England, along with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray. 

Jacqui, who has worked in the NHS for 43 years and at Royal Surrey for the past 35 years, said: “It was a wonderful celebration and recognition of the dedication of all NHS staff, and a chance to share uplifting stories with colleagues who between them had thousands of years of service. The Prime Minister expressed his personal gratitude and I’d like to pass that on to everyone here at Royal Surrey.”

Jacqui met colleagues representing the whole spectrum of the NHS. She said: “The whole patient journey was represented and it was a great opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities common to colleagues wherever they were from and have a real sense of the national NHS team.”

On leaving the Prime Minister’s official residence, its Chief Mouser, Larry the Cat, was hanging around the hallway hoping for some attention. 

Jacqui said: “Larry was there, under the chair that Winston Churchill used to sit on and do up his boots. I gave him a stroke and he seemed happy to see guests out!”

Jacqui is pictured with Sir Keir Starmer and other NHS colleagues in the garden of Number Ten.