FOOTBALL legends John Barnes, Bruce Grobbelaar and Alan Kennedy paid a visit to Arrowe Park Hospital today (Wednesday, July 5) as the NHS mark 75 years of service.
The former Liverpool players arrived on the LFC bus this morning greeted with cheers and smiles from hospital staff and members of the public.
NHS nurses, doctors and volunteers got photos with the stars, along with autographs, Jurgen Klopp signed photos and Liverpool badges.
The world’s best-known health system came into being on July 5 1948.
Maintaining its status as a leader in healthcare advances has been achieved by ground-breaking surgeries, vital clinical trials and radical reforms.
Wirral's Arrowe Park Hospital has been busy marking the occasion, with a Big Tea Event, a raffle by their WUTH Charity, Tiny Stars Appeal, and a performance in the hospital's foyer by choir SingMe Merseyside.
Ex-Liverpool goalkeeper, Grobbelaar, spoke to the Globe about his personal experiences with Arrowe Park and what the NHS means to him.
He said: "Thank you, guys, for helping us all during all of the times we have been ill.
"I am particularly here at Arrowe Park because I got meningitis and they looked after me for around 10 days, getting me better so I could go back and play for Liverpool Football Club, so it is very dear to my heart to be at Arrowe Park and see the staff again.
"The staff are completely and utterly amazing, they are just brilliant. Keep up the good work and thank you for helping us."
Suzanne Dawling, who has worked as a Critical Care Outreach Nurse for 23 years, spoke to the Globe about why it is so important to celebrate the NHS.
She said: "I think it's really important we celebrate the NHS. Not only is it a work family for me, a very supportive environment, where we all look after each other but it's also the patient is the focus of what we do.
"We look after them holistically and look after all their care needs. It's not just the patients who are physically unwell but also patients who have mental health issues."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here