UK encouraged to parkrun for the NHS

Sir Andy Murray OBE is calling on people across the country to ‘parkrun for the NHS’ to celebrate the health service’s 75th birthday and lead a more healthy and active lifestyle.

Thousands of people across the UK are expected to take part in parkrun events on Saturday 8 July and junior parkrun events on Sunday 9 July. The events are intended for for parkruns and their local communities to acknowledge the huge contribution that the NHS makes to the health of the nation. Participants are encouraged to wear NHS blue or fancy dress.

For the NHS’s 70th birthday in 2018, more than 146,000 people took park in a park run event. Participants can walk, run or jog the event. Volunteers to help run the event are also welcome.

Andy Murray said: “The NHS is one of our nation’s greatest institutions and I am honoured to support its 75th birthday. ‘Parkrun for the NHS’ is a great initiative and it’ll be amazing to see thousands of people from across the UK walking, running and volunteering at their local parkrun and junior parkrun events to mark this major milestone in the NHS’s history.

“Our nurses, doctors, paramedics, midwives and all of the other NHS staff and volunteers do an amazing job caring for us and the NHS’s 75th birthday is an opportunity to recognise their hard work and commitment. It’s also a fantastic way of encouraging more people across the UK to be active, together in the outdoors, no matter what their age, ability or background. I’d encourage everyone to head down to their local parkrun or junior parkrun and join in the 75th birthday fun...

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Appointments

New chief executive of NHS Wales appointed

Judith Paget has been appointed as Chief Executive of NHS Wales. She had been in the post on an interim basis since November 2021. Paget was appointed after an international recruitment exercise chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner.

Minister for health and social services, Eluned Morgan, said: “Judith has shown great leadership and oversight of the NHS in Wales through some of its most difficult times. I congratulate her on her appointment and look forward to continuing our work to deliver an NHS Wales to be proud of.”

Paget said: “I am honoured to be appointed to this important role and look forward to continuing to work with Ministers and NHS Wales organisations to deliver excellence in our health and care services.”