UHP Volunteer Honoured at Downing Street Reception Marking 78 Years of the NHS
A University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) volunteer has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to healthcare and community outreach after being invited to attend a special reception at 10 Downing Street celebrating the 78th anniversary of the National Health Service.
Lyndsey Withers, who serves as both a volunteer and Patient Safety Partner at UHP, attended the event in recognition of her dedication to improving patient care and supporting vulnerable people across Plymouth.
Appointed as UHP's first Patient Safety Partner in 2022, Lyndsey has played an important role in helping to strengthen patient safety and ensure the patient voice is represented in decision-making across the Trust. Her work has included contributing to discussions around new medical technologies, addressing patient safety concerns and supporting initiatives such as the Peninsula Motor Neuron Disease Network, helping to secure funding to continue vital support for patients and their families.
Prior to taking on the Patient Safety Partner role, Lyndsey was a lay member of the Trust's Ethical Decisions Advisory Group, contributing valuable insight to complex healthcare decisions and patient-centred care.
Alongside her NHS volunteering, Lyndsey has devoted more than a decade to supporting people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity through Plymouth Soup Run. As a volunteer, she helps oversee the delivery of more than 33,000 meals each year and has led efforts to improve food safety standards and the nutritional quality of meals provided to some of the city's most vulnerable residents.
Speaking about the reception, Lyndsey said:
"The reception to mark the 78th Birthday of the NHS was held in glorious sunshine in the garden of No.10 Downing Street on 6 July 2026. Two formal speeches were made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray, and by the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Both spoke warmly of their affection for the NHS, their pride in its achievements and their commitment to its future, as well as their personal experiences as patients, family members, carers and relatives of NHS workers.
"I managed to have several useful conversations with other guests and explain a bit about what Patient Safety Partners do. I also spoke to James Murray on that topic and on some of the research going on in Plymouth, and briefly to Professor Frankie Swords, the new National Medical Director working across DHSC and NHS England.
"Everyone felt very welcome and we were encouraged to linger in the public areas of Number 10, look at some of the historical portraits, photos and artefacts, and take a photo at the famous door. Sadly, no sightings of Larry the Downing Street cat."
Lyndsey's invitation recognises not only her commitment to improving healthcare services but also her longstanding dedication to supporting people within the wider community. Through her contributions to patient safety, ethical decision-making and charitable work, she continues to make a meaningful difference to the lives of patients, families and residents across Plymouth.
