Creation of the NHS (AQA GCSE History)

How important is the NHS to medicine in Britain? - Summary

The NHS is one of the most important developments in British medicine. Created in 1948, the NHS was designed to provide 'free at the point of use' healthcare to everyone, funded by taxes. For the first time, people in Britain could access doctors, hospitals, and treatments without worrying about how to pay. It was especially important for poorer families who previously struggled to afford medical care. The NHS transformed public health, reducing illnesses and improving life expectancy across the country.

However, the NHS faces significant challenges today. An ageing population means more people need medical care, which puts a strain on resources. Funding shortages can lead to long waiting times for treatments and overworked staff. Advances in medical technology are also expensive, making it difficult to provide the latest treatments to patients. Despite these issues, the NHS remains a vital part of Britain, providing healthcare for millions.

Why was there a need for the NHS?

Issues with medical care by 1948

• Up until the mid-1900s, many people still did not receive the medical treatment that they needed

  • The provision of healthcare depended on each local authority

  • National Insurance did not cover women or a worker's family

  • Areas outside of London and the South East of England did not have enough hospitals

    • Many hospitals were built in the 19th century so the available hospitals required updating 

  • People still had to pay for doctors

    • As a result, many continued to rely on purchasing herbal treatments like Beecham's from pharmacies

The Beveridge Report, 1942

• Sir William Beveridge was a politician, social reformer and economist

• In his report, he states that there were 'five giants' that negatively impacted people's lives

The 'Five Giants'

1. Want: Lacking the necessities such as food and clean water

2. Disease: A consequence of bad living conditions and a lack of access to healthcare

3. Ignorance: A consequence of poor education standards

4. Squalor: Living in unsafe, poor-quality housing

5. Idleness: A consequence of not being able to find a job

Advice from the Beveridge Report

• Beveridge advised that the government should take action to improve public health

  • He argued for a 'from the cradle to the grave' welfare state

What was the welfare state?

• A welfare state is a system that allows the government of a country to provide social services

  • These include benefits such as healthcare and unemployment benefits

• Taxes fund the development of welfare states

  • This means that all taxpayers in society contribute to the social services needed by themselves and those in need

• Britain wanted to develop a welfare state like Germany

  • Germany was the first country to develop a welfare state in the 1880s

• Alongside the NHS, the British government created its welfare state by:

  • providing payments to cover childcare costs

  • demolishing slum housing

  • improving access to education

The National Health Service (NHS)

• The Labour government under Aneurin Bevan launched the NHS (the National Health Service) in 1948

• It provided free care for everyone at the point of access

  • Workers funded the NHS through their National Insurance payments

    • People today continue to pay this tax

• The government used the existing hospitals and medical services and took them under their control

The structure of the NHS - the tripartite system

Positive impacts of the NHS

• Women and children had access to free treatment

• The poor could now access medical care

• A better-connected network of GPs and hospitals

• More patients had access to specialist doctors, skilled in treating their condition

• The role of hospitals transformed

  • Before, the NHS hospitals provided facilities for the elderly to rest 

    • People questioned where the elderly would go if they had no family to care for them

  • Now, hospitals are only for the treatment of disease

Opposition to the NHS

• The NHS faced severe opposition from:

  • GPs

  • politicians

  • members of the public

GPs

• GPs resisted the creation of the NHS because they:

  • lost income

  • experienced an increase in demand for their services

• GPs were so busy that they ended up lacking up-to-date knowledge

  • In the 1950s, a quarter of all GPs did not possess satisfactory medical knowledge

• The General Medical Council represented these concerns to the government

Politicians

• Some conservative politicians protested against the NHS

  • They worried about how much the NHS would cost

    • This worry was proven correct when, in 1951, the government had to begin to charge for prescriptions

  • They believed it was unfair to place high taxes on people

Members of the public

• Wealthier people in society resented the NHS

  • They had the money needed to access healthcare before the NHS

  • They did not want to pay higher taxes to cover the increased cost of the NHS

  • They wanted to see their regular doctor

    • Due to increased demand during the NHS, patients struggled to see their family doctor

The NHS in the 21st century

Positive features

• The NHS lead healthy living campaigns

  • These campaigns aimed to educate the public about the health implications of certain habits. Examples of these are:

    • Adverts warning about the dangers of smoking, binge drinking and unprotected sex

    • National events, such as Stoptober, which encourage people to give up smoking

    • Campaigns which promoted healthy eating and regular exercise. The government introduced Change4Life in 2015

• The NHS organise mass vaccination campaigns

  • The 20th century saw the implementation of more vaccination programmes. These included:

    • Whooping cough (1950)

    • Tetanus (1961)

    • Measles (1968)

    • Rubella (1970)

    • Covid-19 (2020)

• The NHS is innovative, using the latest technology for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment

  • Doctors use CT scans, X-rays and robotic surgery to provide the best care to patients

Negative features

• The NHS is in excessive demand

  • More people using healthcare has caused an increase in waiting times for appointments

  • An ageing population means that people are living for longer

    • Statistically, older people access the healthcare system more often, increasing costs

  • Poor lifestyle choices such as over-eating and smoking have increased cases of:

    • Type 2 diabetes

    • heart disease

    • lung cancer

    • iron deficiency anaemia

• New treatments increase the cost of the NHS

  • Innovation in certain types of treatment cannot be provided to NHS patients because the service cannot afford it