Department of Health and Social Care
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Michael Rosen, Children's Laureaute, and leading illustrators unveil new works for NHS Sixtieth Anniversary
Some of Britains top illustrators, along with the Children's Laureate, Michael Rosen, have teamed up to provide a unique artistic contribution to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the NHS.
Michael Rosen has written a new poem, "these are the hands" and some of the nation's best loved illustrators including Helen Oxenbury, Tony Ross, Ed Vere, Axel Scheffler and Nick Sharratt have each provided their own individual visual interpretation of the poem.
Additionally, Michael is appearing in a short film of the poem alongside Michael Parkinson, Harry Hill, Dan Snow, Mark Lawrenson, Dame Jacqueline Wilson and Copies of the film will be made available to schools, libraries and museums, and can be viewed online.
Ann Keen, Health Minister, speaking at the launch of the poem and illustrations at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green said:
"I was born in the NHS, and as a former children's nurse myself, this poem to mark the 60th anniversary of the NHS means a great deal to me. These words and pictures are a wonderful of telling the NHS story to promote health and wellbeing in young people.
"I would like especially to thank the contributors as they have generously donated their time free of charge, and have waived all appearance fees.
"All of this demonstrates what a special place the NHS holds in all of our hearts."
Michael Rosen said:
"I just missed being born into the NHS as I was born in 1946, but I can remember right from when I was very young, my parents talked of the NHS as something very precious, that had been won as a result of years of campaigning and as a consequence of the big Labour win of 1945.
"The NHS have mended my nose (cricket ball!), put my pelvis back together (car accident), and discovered that I had spent many years suffering from a chronic illness (underactive thyroid). Since then, I've had free prescriptions. The NHS brought my five children into the world, saved the lives of two of them, and gently nursed my parents through to the end.
"So, when I came to write this poem, I wanted to express the idea that it serves us cradle to the grave, but I also wanted to celebrate everybody in the service. There are many different kinds of essential work going on every minute of the day and I wanted to show that."
Dan Snow, broadcaster, said:
"It is very important to mark the extraordinary ambition behind the creation of the NHS, that everybody whatever their status or wealth would have equal access to good health care. That is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century, I think, and on an occasion like this it is good to look back at the history take the good parts, look at what we can do better and try and preserve that legacy for future generations."
Notes to editors
1. The NHS was launched by former Health Minister Aneurin Bevan, and had been created two years earlier by the National Health Services Act 1946
2. In July 2008, the DH published the Darzi Review, setting out the vision of how the NHS will meet the challenges of delivering health care over the next decade
3. These are the hands by Michael Rosen
These are the hands
That touch us first
Feel your
head
Find the pulse
And make your bed.
These are the hands
That tap your back
Test the
skin
Hold your arm
Wheel the bin
Change the
bulb
Fix the drip
Pour the jug
Replace your hip
These are the hands
That fill the bath
Mop the
floor
Flick the switch
Soothe the sore
Burn the
swabs
Give us a jab
Throw out sharps
Design the lab.
And these are the hands
That stop the leaks
Empty the
pan
Wipe the pipes
Carry the can
Clamp the
veins
Make the cast
Log the dose
And touch us last.
