PAPER 2 - HEALTH

• The Second World War affected everyone in Britain. To provide the public with hope for after the war Beveridge wrote a national report given out to everyone in 1942

  This important Beveridge report published in 1942 rejected Laissez faire and put forward the idea of a fair and caring society with free national health service and welfare state

  The report promised to solve problems in society known as:

  • squalor ( poor housing )
  • Ignorance ( poor education )
  • want ( poverty )
  • idleness ( unemployment )
  • Disease
• After WW2 finished, the new Labour Government led by Prime Minister Atleen and health Minister Bevan overcame the opposition of 90% of doctors to a National Health Service.

  Having a NHS had opposition because it meant that doctors who privately worked with patients earning more money could no longer do so. To stop the opposition Bevan let doctors treat private paying patient alongside NHS patients.

  1948 Labour introduce free NHS and welfare state. Government would care for people from 'cradle' to 'grave' with social housing replacing slums, clean air and free medical care paid by taxes
• Long term - NHS has become expensive, cuts have had to be made to nurses pay and prescription charges for drugs have been introduced.

  Conservative politicians want a return to laissez faire and more private health care.

  To save the NHS money public health campaigns have been introduced with screening tests for heart disease and cancer. Also to prevent costly treatment for obesity, the public are encouraged to eat healthy 5 fruit and veg a day
• THE BLACK DEATH:

  The Black Death spread via fleas on rats.

  • The bacterial disease killed 1/3rd of the population.
  • Treatments were ineffective and based on Hippocrates 4 humours or prayer to God with the flagellants.
  • There was no national government public health due to laissez faire, their were only local measures for example town councils in coventry introduced local laws to keep the streets clean.

  LONG TERM-

  Feudal system collapsed die to 1/3 rd of Englands peasant villeins died, The remaining villeins demanded pay for their work or become freeman peasants and moved to work for lords.