To mark 65 years since the passing of NHS founder Nye Bevan, arts and activism collective Hive Mind Speaks has begun an ambitious UK-wide campaign.
In just 6 days, the group will visit 65 locations, asking the public 3 powerful questions about the future of the NHS — gathering real opinions from real people.
The aim is to provide a platform for the general public to have their say on the future of the NHS,
At the heart of the tour is a striking satirical short film, played on a large mobile screen, drawing crowds and sparking conversation.
Watch here.
The campaign culminates on Saturday 12 April at a Citizens’ Jury hosted at South Bank University, where key figures will respond to the public’s views.
Results will be presented to current Health Minister, Wes Streeting and submitted to the Change NHS 10 year Health Plan for England.
NHS65 is a nationwide arts activism initiative dedicated to providing a platform for the general public to have an impact on the future of the NHS. The showcase will take place across 65 locations in 6 days, via an LED van playing a powerful satirical video on the threat to the future of the NHS.
The project will culminate in a Citizens’ Jury on Saturday 12 April 2025 at London South Bank University (LSBU) in London, England, a leading university for Nursing and Midwifery in the UK. Expert speakers will include Aneira Thomas- the first ever baby born under the NHS, Professor Gwyn Bevan from the London School of Economics and Dr. Bob Gill, producer of the documentary The Great NHS Heist.
EDINBURGH LOCATIONS TODAY:
City Centre 2.30pm
Holyrood 3pm
NHS Scotland 3.30pm
Queen Margaret University 4pm
Murrayfield 5.30pm
Stockbridge 7pm
On the road, 3 key questions will be posed to the general public based on key findings from the recently commissioned Lord Darzi Report, which outlines a proposed 10-year plan for healthcare in the UK:
1) Ensuring adequate funding for the NHS
Should the NHS spending be legally protected with a minimum percentage of GDP?
2) The Long-Term Sustainability of the NHS
Should NHS funding priorities be decided by an independent health body rather than by politicians to ensure long-term stability and prevent short term political influence?
3) Privatisation vs Public ownership
Should the NHS renew or cancel all current privatisation contracts when they next come up for renewal?
From these three, the public will determine the most important issue and question for deliberation at the citizens jury.
How Does the Citizen’s Jury Work?
A diverse, representative panel of jurors will hear from expert speakers on the current state of the NHS. The expert speakers will include Aneira Thomas- the first ever baby born under the NHS, Professor Gwyn Bevan- Emeritus Professor of Policy Analysis at London School of Economics, Dr. Bob Gill- current practicing GP and producer of the documentary The Great NHS Heist. Observers and members of the public are encouraged to attend, ask questions and take part in discussions.
The results of citizens jury deliberation will be fed into the NHS’ very own Change campaign. A campaign to canvas public opinion over the next 10 years for implementing change as part of the 10 year health plan, resulting from the current government’s Lord Darzi report commission.
Hive Mind Speaks will ensure the findings are presented to current Health Minister, Wes Streeting, and the results will be made available on the Hive Mind Speaks platform, as well as being archived at the British Library. Additionally, the results will be presented on the LED van across significant locations in London on Monday 14 April.
The Red Jay NHS Story
A Lifelong Bond with the NHS: A Story of Care, Resilience and Gratitude
Joshua was born on April 12th, 1982, at the Whittington Hospital, North London, arriving into the world with an extremely rare, genetic musculoskeletal condition called Larsen’s Syndrome, a condition so uncommon that, at the time of his birth, only around 500 cases had been documented in the UK. It was a moment filled with uncertainty for his parents, who had no indication of any complications before his arrival and also for the doctors, who had rarely, if ever, encountered anything like this before.
But what could have been an overwhelming ordeal for any family was met with the steadfast hands and compassionate hearts of the NHS. In those early days, as his parents Christine and Terry navigated the fear of the unknown, the doctors, nurses and specialists of the NHS became more than just medical professionals, they became guardians, problem-solvers and beacons of hope.
Among them, a South African doctor, Dr. Patent, affectionately nicknamed “Dr. Pavement” by a young Joshua, who would become a guiding force in his early medical journey. With a calm presence and a determined strategy, Dr. Patent led the way in understanding and addressing the complex web of muscle and tendon abnormalities that accompanied Joshua’s condition.
The first two surgeries on Joshua’s thighs were purely exploratory, a leap into the unknown, guided only by expertise and an unwavering commitment to care.
From there, the next three operations on his legs and left hip took place before he was even six months old, carefully correcting what was discovered. The NHS didn’t just offer treatment, it offered trust, patience and reassurance to a family learning to navigate a condition they had never expected.
At 14 years old, Joshua’s journey with the NHS continued after a sledging accident resulted in another two surgeries, this time due to the unique structural challenges of Larsen’s Syndrome. Though these operations left him with a leg length discrepancy, they were a testament to the NHS’s ongoing commitment to ensuring he could lead as full and active a life as possible.
Throughout his childhood, Joshua was acutely aware that his nose was different, the result of missing nasal cartilage, a depressed nasal bridge and a prominent forehead. He remembers sitting with NHS doctors, flipping through a book of noses, contemplating facial reconstruction surgery. Though advised to wait until adulthood, he carried the thought with him for years.
At UCL Hospital in 2013, he finally underwent a LaFort II Osteotomy, a groundbreaking facial reconstruction procedure that realigned his upper jaw. This was combined with a rhinoplasty procedure, where they took Joshua’s lower right-hand rib to replace the missing nasal cartilage.
For the NHS, it was complex but routine surgery. For Joshua, it was transformational. It gave him ownership over his face, removing a lifetime of self-consciousness and allowing him to walk through the world without shielding himself from it.
The Future and Family Planning
Most recently, Joshua’s journey with the NHS came full circle through genome sequencing at Great Ormond Street Hospital, revealing that he had a 50% chance of passing Larsen’s Syndrome to future offspring. While this news carried its own emotional weight, the NHS was there once again, not just as a provider of answers, but as a partner in finding solutions. It opened the doors to NHS funded IVF treatment, offering the possibility of building a future family without the fear of passing on his condition.
A New Diagnosis and a Disturbing Reality
In 2024, Joshua received another life-altering piece of news, one that shifted his perspective on the NHS and deepened his urgency to take action.
Concerned about memory loss, he underwent a brain scan, which revealed atrophy of the cerebellar vermis, a degenerative condition with a life expectancy often cutting short in the 50s or 60s. The news was deeply troubling, a future he had never considered was suddenly placed in front of him.
Yet, in the midst of grappling with this deeply concerning revelation, Joshua was given a one-year wait to see an NHS neurologist. The NHS, the very institution that had always been his safety net was now buckling under strain.
Faced with this uncertainty and while abroad in Canada, where he holds dual citizenship, Joshua made the difficult decision to seek a private consultation to gain some reassurance. There, a specialist was able to put his mind at ease, stating that this was not an actively degenerative condition, but something he was born with. Had it been a new, progressive disorder, the reality would have been vastly different.
The experience shook Joshua, not just because of his personal health scare, but because it highlighted, in the most painful way possible, the crisis the NHS is facing.
For the first time in his life, he had to use a private doctor. He described it as feeling like he was cheating on the NHS. But it felt he did it not out of choice, but out of necessity.
Why This Project Matters
This moment became a key driver in Joshua realising we can no longer all just be supporters of the NHS, we had to actively fight for its future.
The NHS isn’t failing by accident, it’s being failed and Joshua, through NHS65, is putting the future of the NHS on trial.
From the very moment of his birth to the milestones of surgery, transformation and family planning, Joshua’s life has been woven into the fabric of the NHS. It is not just an institution, it is a lifeline, a source of unwavering support and a testament to the best of humanity.
His story is one of gratitude, resilience and love for a service that has given so much to so many. A service that must not be left to collapse.
The NHS is in crisis.
The future of the NHS is on trial.
And the people must deliver the verdict.
This is why NHS65 exists.
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