Happy Birthday, National Health Service – and a golden milestone for Lynne

The NHS marks its 74th birthday today – but it’s not alone in celebrating.

Lynne Hall, HEE’s National Head of Portfolio: Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism, is approaching her 50th anniversary with the organisation.

“In terms of equal opportunity, I feel the NHS is the best thing that’s ever happened in this country,” she said.

“While it’s not always seen to be perfect, it does ensures that everyone - no matter what their means - has access to care when they need it most. I’m very proud of playing a small part in enabling  that to happen.”

Lynne started her career in 1972 as a cadet nurse at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, South Yorkshire. After various posts across all in-patient physical health specialities, she was keen to work in a preventative role. She became a community nurse and undertook health visitor training and an accompanying degree at Sheffield Hallam University.

She went on to become a higher education lecturer and practice educator before a number of NHS roles in management, policy development, leadership implementation and commissioning. For the last nine years she has been a national strategist at HEE. She is extremely proud of the work her current portfolio team are doing.

“It’s heartening to know that mental health, learning disabilities and autism are now so very much in focus,” Lynne said. “While it’s an extremely busy portfolio it does give me great satisfaction to know, for example, that  between physical and mental health there is much less of a divide than there has been in the past.

“There is still a fair way to go, but the current direction is very positive, and patient care can only improve as a result.”

Congratulations to Lynne, and a happy anniversary to the NHS!