People across the country are being urged to show their support for the NHS in one final Clap For Carers today, to recognise how staff have gone above and beyond during the coronavirus pandemic.

Clap For Carers became a regular Thursday night event during lockdown, with people taking to their doorsteps and balconies at 8pm weekly to show their appreciation for NHS staff and other key workers.

It came to an end at the end of May as some of the lockdown restrictions in the UK began easing – but is returning one last time for a pretty notable reason.

So just what time is today’s clap – and why are we having another one?

What time is Clap For Carers today?

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Clap For Carers is due to take place at 5pm.

It’s been organised by the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, to thank their staff for going ‘above and beyond’ during the pandemic as well as to show appreciation for others who have done their bit to help others and keep them safe over the past few months.

Why is there another Clap For Carers?

The final Clap for Carers has been organised to coincide with the 72nd birthday of the NHS.

The health service was launched on 5 July 1948 at the Park Hospital in Manchester by Aneurin Bevan, who was Minister of Health in the government at the time.

The NHS was born out of Bevan’s ideas that health care should be free, care should be provided on need rather than ability to pay, and that it could be used by everyone.

The Oxford Heath Website has said: ‘Staff at every level of Oxford Health have gone above and beyond in recent months to care for friends, families and loved ones, as well as each other during the pandemic. They are still doing so every day.

‘But on our birthday not only do we want to applaud our brilliant colleagues but also the people in our communities without whom the NHS wouldn’t have been able to respond.’

As well as the clap, national landmarks have also been lit up in blue this weekend to mark the NHS’ birthday.

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