A beautifully illustrated introduction to the NHS, which traces its
history from its origins and establishment following the end of the
Second World War, right up to the present day, and explores the
ever-changing challenges of providing national healthcare in the modern
world.
1948 marked a turning point in British history, for it was the year that
the National Health Service began. Inaugurated by the health minister,
Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan, the new nationwide system was established to
provide countrywide free healthcare for every citizen at the point of
use, and, as Bevan believed, would 'lift the shadow from millions of
homes.' No longer would people have to fear paying for their medical
care and potentially being pushed into poverty. Every aspect of medical
care began to change, gradually affecting the way that the profession,
including doctors, nurses, district nurses, dentists, opticians,
pharmacists and hospitals practiced and operated. It also created new
opportunities, enabling the scope of treatments available to grow.
This beautifully illustrated book traces the origins of the NHS, from
Florence Nightingale, to the NHS beginnings in 1948 and the subsequent
decades and introduces readers to the people who worked for the NHS and
to the men, women and children who benefited from the new universal
system. Viewed through the prism of social history, and using personal
recollections, this story takes account of the debates surrounding the
evolving system, and looks at the way that innovation and science have
transformed healthcare since the NHS began.
