There were so many ways that David Cameron’s NHS 60th Birthday Party could have gone wrong that I gave up counting as I walked across Westminster Bridge to St Thomas’ Hospital. The Leader of the Opposition was throwing this do with three finalists from Britain’s Got Talent – a breakdancer, a bhangra dancing duo and a singer. It seemed risky. Britain might have talent, but did Dave?

“He’s all showbusiness!” shouts Gordon Brown almost every time he appears opposite Dave. But I am not convinced. Tony Blair, maybe. The man was an actor. His Catherine Tate impression was so good that I half expected her to start imitating him imitating her. Actually, now that I think of it, perhaps Dave does have talent. Remember all that stuff about “Heir to Blair”? Maybe he was going to imitate Tony Blair. St Thomas’ ground floor seems more like a bustling mini-mall than a hospital. It even has a bank. The party was organised in the dramatic atrium of the Evelina children’s hospital. About 75 or so chairs had been set out, all filled with patients, parents and staff. Scores more watched through the plate-glass windows on the wards, too ill to come down.

Absolutely no one in the audience was there to see Dave (except me, I guess, for I was judging his Blair impression). The audience trickled in and it was impossible not to be moved. Children came in wheelchairs, clearly feeling poorly. Others trailed drips. Next to me, a young mum cuddled her five-month-old baby who had kidney failure. A boy, another patient, came over and tried to get the baby to do a “fist bump” handshake.

This was a parallel world to our busy, cynical little bubble in Westminster and in so many ways it was more in touch. These were the real experts on the NHS.

In the Commons yesterday, the Health Secretary celebrated the NHS’s birthday with a baffling speech. “We will begin by bringing clarity to quality,” said Alan Johnson. He then talked about a “clinical dashboard”.

What was he on about? The gulf between the Commons and the real world of the NHS seemed immense. Over at the hospital, we were all waiting for George Sampson. How many MPs even know who he is? And yet George (here’s a clue: breakdancer) actually received two million votes. This won him a slot in the Royal Variety Performance. And, oh yes, this little gig with Dave “Heir to Blair” Cameron.

Dave bounded on to the stage. “I’ve got a feeling that you aren’t here to listen to me!” he burbled. (Already, this was really rather good Blair.) He would keep it short (no one sighed). He spoke of his own experience at St Thomas’ with his son. He kept saying Britain’s got talent and the NHS has talent too. He then gave three nurses a giant birthday card before handing over to Charlie from Lollipop Radio, the hospital’s children’s station.

“Round of applause for him!” cried Charlie. Him? Perhaps he couldn’t remember Dave’s name. After all, he was, technically, the warm-up act though his Blair impression wasn’t bad at all. Then it was on to the main event. First up was Signature, the bhangra dancing duo. What an act! It was all done to Billie Jean, by Michael Jackson. The mobile cameras clicked away like crazy.

Then Faryl Smith, 12, sang Ave Maria. By the third syllable – the Ma in Maria – she had brought tears to the eye. Next up, it was George, who twirled on stage, in bowler hat, tux and trainers, to execute a spinning top of a breakdance to Singin’ in the Rain by Mint Royale. He got huge applause.

Finally, as if it were simply an afterthought, Dave bounded back up to the stage: “Britain has got talent! The NHS has got talent!” he cried.

The children surged up to have their pictures taken with George, though not, it must be said, with Dave.

In the Times Archive: on March 22, 1948 the net total cost of the NHS was given as £149,675,000

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