An inter-denominational 'Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving' has been held to mark the diamond anniversary of their National Health Service.

The event took place this week in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast to celebrate 60 years of the 'modern' health service in Northern Ireland.

Conducted by the Dean of Belfast, the Very Reverend Houston McKelvey, the service was attended by health and social care staff, past and present, patients and their families who have availed of the service at some time in their life and representation from the community and voluntary sector. All the four main churches in Northern Ireland were also represented.

Reflecting on 60 years of service, NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: "When Aneurin Bevan's vision for a free health service for all was introduced in Northern Ireland by the then Minister of Health and Local Government, William Grant in 1948, no one could have envisaged just how far the service would advance.

"During those 60 years, our society has changed radically; we are living longer, we are healthier - yet at some point every one of us will need the support of our caring services.

"Health and well being is something that we often take for granted but if we look back on the past 60 years it shows just how far we have travelled and how much this service has impacted on the people of Northern Ireland.

"From humble beginnings with a few thousand staff the Health Service is now Northern Ireland's largest employer, employing over 70,000 staff," he said.

The Minister concluded: "Aneurin Bevan said about the health service in 1948 that expectations will always exceed capacity.

"The service must always be changing, growing and improving - it must always appear 'inadequate'. I concur with Bevan and we shall never rest on our laurels.

"We will always continue to improve and provide all of our community with a first class Health Service they deserve and expect," he said.

Since taking office as Minister for Health, Michael McGimpsey has taken forward a major reform and modernisation programme which has already reduced 19 health trusts to six (including the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service).

He recently announced further proposals, for a new regional health and social care board and a public health agency.

Over the last year, he has also announced a further transformation in hospital waiting times, and in other services such as access to cancer treatment and ambulance response times. He has campaigned for an increase in his allotted budget to improve frontline services.

Other announcements made include confirmation of the new south west hospitals in Enniskillen and Omagh, the creation of a board of experts for mental health and learning disability, a new regional suicide prevention helpline, a major capital investment of £190million at the Ulster Hospital, Dundonald and his desire is to see much more investment being made in the Health Service going forward.

However, it has not been 'all plain sailing', with regular failings documented, most recently - earlier this week - when a Belfast hospital was slammed for 'failing' a patient by sending her home, when she should have been admitted, with the patient dying soon afterwards.

The Northern Ireland Ombudsman said that the standard of care offered to a Co Fermanagh hospital patient was "serious maladministration".

He criticised the hospital in his report into the death the woman, identified only as Mrs M.

He related that she was extremely ill when she was transferred from the Erne Hospital in December 2001, but was allowed to discharge herself two days later.

He said this was a "gross error of judgement".

See: City Hospital Slammed Over 'Fatal' Patient Care

(BMcC)