“You gave me an extra year with my grandad,” “Thank you for saving my 13-week-old baby’s life when he contracted meningitis. We will never forget how amazing you were,” and “You’re all heroes in my eyes.”

These are some of the many touching messages Petersfield shoppers wrote in a 70th birthday card to the National Health Service (NHS).

It was handed over last Wednesday at Petersfield Hospital while the first workers to read the contents were a pair of nurses who have served the town’s people for a total of 40 years.

The handover was the culmination of a series of events held by the Petersfield Labour Party to celebrate 70 years of the National Health Service.

The card was signed by around 200 people on July 7, during a two-hour celebratory event in The Square.

Organisers had to buy extra paper as dozens wrote personal and heart-felt messages of thanks to the NHS for the treatment received by themselves or family members.

A huge cake representing a hospital ward was also sliced up and sold off, with the event raising more than £50 for the service.

The first NHS workers to read the card were senior ward sister Sarah Underwood and ward sister Trish Yates, who have worked at the hospital for 22 and 18 years, respectively.

Both members of staff are retiring at the end of the year so they were grateful to see the town’s gratitude in writing.

“Some of these messages are absolutely lovely,” said Trish, who was always going to follow her mother into nursing.

Sarah said: “You often hear the bad bits about the NHS, like waiting times and ambulances, but it’s nice to get personal messages and to know we do make a difference.”

The birthday card will be taken to every ward on the hospital while it could also get taken on ‘a tour’ of local surgeries after the hospital tour.