Lancaster said thanks

You think you’re immune to it all after a while. The campaigns, the stories, the hashtags, the slogans, all of it starts to become a bit forgettable. And then, when you’re on the verge of getting jaded and cynical about it all, people surprise you.

A giant card to thank the NHS could just be another stunt in the midst of a campaign that has seen all sorts of stunts from political parties and other groups. (#Edstone, I’m looking at you.) It could be just as hokey as those giant cheques you see on ads for the lottery, and just as meaningless.

But then the people get involved.

They tell their stories, of what’s happened to them and their loved ones.

And you start to see the difference the NHS has made to each life.

And you remember that this is worth it. This isn’t about slogans, or stunts, or spin. It’s real. Real lives being saved and changed by having something this valuable.

A health service that regards every life as equally valuable, equally worth saving, and equally worth bringing into the world.

People care about this institution. Lots of people know what it’s done for them, what it’s still doing for everyone. They think it’s worth saving. And they want to thank the people who’ve helped them. And when you see those messages it’s impossible to be cynical or jaded. You just have to stand back and look at all those messages of gratitude.

It’s worth saving, isn’t it?