Arida and Latif with baby Alois

ONE-day-old baby Alois will have a story to tell for many years to come: his first cries were heard live on the radio.

He was born early yesterday (Wednesday) at the Royal Free just as Radio 5 Live were there charting events at the hospital in Hampstead for coverage of the NHS’s 75th birthday.

Reporter Lucy Grey was interviewing parents Arida and Latif moments after the new addition to their family had arrived, explaining that they were “calm and chilled”. It was straight back to work for the maternity team, however, with little time to stop for some cooing.

Anaesthetist Michael Web explained the rush to the programme’s reporters: “It can happen at any time where these emergencies happen and we have to jump into action and at present, yeah, there’s a baby being born by caesarian section.”

There are events up and down the country this week to mark the milestone anniversary – and plenty of discussion about the need to protect its future.

The Royal Free handed out “Oscars” to staff on Tuesday in recognition of their work over the last 12 months.

The hospital’s chair Mark Lam opened the event by asking them: “Where would we be without all of you in room this evening and all of your colleagues across our hospitals, sites and services?”