A doctor from Oxhey swapped her usual shift at A&E to join stars such as David Beckham, Daniel Craig and the Queen to take part in the Olympic opening ceremony.

Elizabeth Holder, 40, was one of hundreds of NHS staff to take part in a musical tribute to the 64-year-old institution, which was part of the widely-acclaimed performance.

The GP, who splits her time between a practice in Harrow and the A&E department at Northwick Park Hospital, spent months training perfect onerous routine that involved pushing a hospital bed around with children on.

Her journey to participating in the multi-million pound extravaganza started last year when the Vivian Gardens resident saw an application for NHS staff to participate in the ceremony on an online doctors’ forum.

She said applied not taking it very seriously and was shocked to get an invite to audition for the show at a London studios in November.

"I didn’t know what to expect at all when I went to the studio," said Dr Holder.

"Part of me thought it was going to be something medical, I didn’t expect dancing."

Dr Holder was told she had been selected for the show in February and began the rigorous rehearsal schedule for the performance.

Throughout the practices she said the director Danny Boyle took a hands-on approach and was regularly seen in rehearsals.

Before the big day Dr Holder said there were two full dress rehearsals, which helped the performers’ nerves on the night.

She said: "You don’t focus how many people are watching you. We had two big rehearsals before and that helped as you get accustomed to it."

Dr Holder did not see the full ceremony until she watched online on Saturday morning and said the spectacle made her tearful. She added she was proud that Mr Boyle had chosen to pay tribute to the NHS in the globally-watched ceremony.

"The NHS is such a big part of the nation and people don’t realise what they get from the NHS," said Dr Holder.

"I believe in the NHS and the healthcare we provide compared to America and some parts of Europe is second to none.

"It was telling the world ‘this is the NHS and it’s amazing’."