Wrexham’s MP thanks local NHS staff and volunteers on the first “NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day”

NHS staff and volunteers have been thanked by Wrexham’s MP on the first “NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day”.

On Monday as part of the nationwide campaign, local MP Sarah Atherton met and thanked staff at the Wrexham Maelor for the important work they do in their roles and for their continued excellence during the pandemic.

This year’s NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day – the first ever – was held on the anniversary of the creation of the NHS and sought to give the nation a chance to thank and show support for NHS and frontline healthcare staff for the work they do day-in and day-out.

The day was marked by a series of events across the UK and the raising of money for two excellent causes – NHS Charities Together, which supports 250 hospitals and their charitable trusts, and the National Care Association which represents 1.6 million paid and unpaid care workers across the UK.

As part of the day’s celebrations, the Maelor Voluntary Service (MVS) – a charity that supports patients, visitors, and staff of the Wrexham Maelor Hospital – organised a ‘Big Tea Party’ event on the Maelor site. During the event, to which Ms Atherton was invited and attended, the MVS provided free tea and coffee to all the NHS staff on site, giving the team from the MVS a chance to thank and support the NHS staff and volunteers.

Commenting on the day, Jenny Griffiths, chair of the MVS said: “I was pleased that the Maelor Voluntary Service were able to host this event today to celebrate those at the Maelor that have gone above and beyond during the past year to support our community. It has been a difficult year for us all but the staff and volunteers here, and indeed across Wrexham, have been incredible.

“I am also grateful to our MP, Sarah Atherton, for attending the event today to support the staff, volunteers and the MVS. Sarah has been very supportive of the MVS over the past year and she even returned to the frontline herself last year, so it was very fitting for her to come along to our special event.”

Speaking on the day, local MP Sarah Atherton said: “The new NHS, Social Care, and Frontline Workers’ Day is a time to celebrate and say thank you to those that play an incredibly important role in our society. This importance has, as we all know, been even greater over the past year because of the pandemic!

“As part of the celebrations, I was grateful to be invited to visit the Wrexham Maelor, where I trained as a nurse in the 1990s and returned last year, and the Maelor Voluntary Service to say a personal thank you to NHS workers and frontline staff.

“From my own experience at the Maelor, I know how hard the staff have work (and have continued to work over the past year), so I was pleased to be able to personally show my support and gratitude.

“I also took the moment yesterday to pay tribute to every NHS, social care, and frontline worker across Wrexham and beyond – every frontline worker’s hard work during what an incredibly tough year has been remarkable.

“However, as well as using the day for celebration, it was also right to take a moment to remember the men and women from the NHS, social care and other key services who have lost their lives in the service of others. So yesterday I also took a moment to think, thank and remember them too.”