We should rightly be proud of the NHS, as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.

The NHS also has a long and proud history of delivering universal health care, free at the point of delivery, being there for all who need it from cradle to grave.

We should also celebrate the NHS’s role in promoting the public’s health and prevention, working with communities, and the population at large. Examples of this include delivering vaccine programmes, most recently the Covid-19 vaccines programme, and the world’s largest PrEP implementation trial to eradicate new HIV infections. In 2020, the NHS also became the first health system in the world to commit to become carbon net zero.

But there must be no room for complacency, when millions of people are waiting for treatment and when we know that despite the NHS’s universal principles not everyone is able to count on the same quality of care or outcomes.

We must also remember that the NHS cannot do everything and that our national approach to health must go way beyond the NHS.

Public health has a crucial role in supporting the health of the nation, and in reducing the burden of ill-health on the NHS. Now is the time to really step up our focus on public health. Simply put, the more we can do collectively to ensure people stay healthy and well through public health approaches and interventions, the less pressure there will be on the NHS. The recent NHS Long Term Workforce Plan is an opportunity to truly embed public health in healthcare - and beyond - and we look forward to continuing to support all those who work across the NHS.