Story by our BBC Young Reporters - Megan, Lois, Uma and Trudy - on Wednesday 6 March 2019.

70 years! That may be the age your grandparents are and this is how long the NHS has been of service to the public. It has been through so much, yet it is still here thriving to keep us alive… We are going to be considering the importance of the NHS being here today.

Aneurin Bevan founded the NHS on 5 July 1948. The first ever patient to be treated was only 13 years old. The NHS has the largest employee rate in the UK, employing around 1.2 million people. 77% of the work force at the NHS is female.  Every 36 hours, they help over 1 million people across England.

The number of patients have almost tripled in the past few years.  This means that the NHS will spend £4677 every second this year. Did you know one of their most expensive treatment costs up to £10 million per patient?

We spoke to some nurses from Stroud General Hospital, and this is what they said about being a part of their community: "I have enjoyed being here ever since I started, all my team mates welcomed me and make my time here the most enjoyable experience". Furthermore, a teacher at Deer Park commented: "I really appreciate the NHS and its service; the UK is one of the only places in the world today that has free health care services." 

Do you think the NHS is appreciated enough? Well some think we should be more aware. One of our teachers said, "Some people don’t realise the effect of the NHS being here and are unaware that countries other than the UK do not have free health care." 

Has the NHS improved over its 70 years of service? "YES. The standard of care has not fallen; however, the responsibility has increased. They are asked to do more for less" said one of our Maths teachers.

What do you think the UK would be like without the NHS today? "‘It would be unfair as only the rich would be able to afford being healthy - you would have to pay to be treated" commented another Maths teacher at Cirencester Deer Park School.

But what if you couldn’t pay?