OUR health service is celebrating its 70th birthday this week and NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group chairman Dr Dan Bunstone has shared his thoughts to mark the occasion.

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the NHS.

Up and down the country, celebrations will be taking place to mark this significant milestone in the life of one of our most beloved institutions.

This anniversary is a chance to celebrate all we are fortunate to have in our National Health Service.

The NHS was created out of the ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth.

When it was launched by the then minister of health, Aneurin Bevan, on July 5 1948, it was based on three core principles - that it should meet the needs of everyone, that it should be free at the point of delivery and that it should be based on clinical need, not ability to pay.

Seventy years on, the founding principles remain the same but the NHS has advanced in many ways – way beyond the initial vision of treating disease.

Numerous conditions that the NHS was set up to treat, such as whooping cough and diphtheria, are now irradiated.

Despite countless medical and technological advances, one thing that has remained the backbone of the health service is its staff – and some extraordinary staff they are.

Day in, day out, they often go the extra mile to ensure that patients receive the best care and support possible.

We all will have received this special care at some point in our lives and will probably remember the time it happened – a midwife who was there during a tough pregnancy, the porter who treated you with kindness, the GP who supported you through a challenging health problem, the receptionist who helped you, the surgeon or doctor who saved your life.

The NHS was the first universal health care system established anywhere in the world – we know the system has its flaws but we are very lucky to have a free at the point of access health service, accessible for all, that is staffed by hardworking, dedicated people.

So how do we thank our NHS staff?

A simple thank you can go a long way to making them feel valued and respected.

Whether it be for their efforts, or achievements, most people welcome being told they are appreciated – so next time you visit an NHS service, why not take a moment to say thank you to the staff who are giving you your care?

It could make their day.