It’s unusual to throw a birthday party for a health care system, but that’s exactly what the U.K. is doing for the National Health Service, a beloved but increasingly creaky institution that turns 75 on Wednesday.
The date is being marked with charity tea parties, royal visits and a service of thanksgiving at London’s Westminster Abbey. The events are a fitting tribute for an institution that is often likened to Britain’s secular religion – though one in which some people are losing faith.
