Let the clapping from Hastings supporters of the NHS echo for years

I wholeheartedly support the sentiment behind the headline ‘Continue the applause for our hospital heroes.’( Observer, April 3 )

Once Covid-19 is finally defeated, it will be vital for all our futures to maintain a truly National Health Service, adequately funded to meet all threats to public health and one which is freely available at the time of need.

Our society has suffered from a decade of underfunding for all our public services and the NHS has struggled to live within centrally imposed budgets. In the light of current experiences such policies must be radically reappraised to ensure that the capacity is always in place to enable the NHS to face the unexpected without constraint.

Only weeks after the UK, apparently believing that it could go it alone, the entire world has been shown how the very survival of humanity itself depends upon both national and international cooperation and understanding.

Let the applause for our public services echo around us long after this crisis has ended.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.