modern / 21st century

• 1942


  US and british govs. funded production of penicillin, treated all wounded allied soldiers on D-Day (1944)
• 1938


  birtish gov established the army blood supply depot, it still exists today
• liberal government introduced social reforms to benefit the working class
• education act of 1906


  free school meals
• old age pensions act of 1908


  people over 70 receive 5 shillings a week, married couples receive 7 shillings and 6 pence a week
• housing and town planning act of 1909


  illegal to build back to back housing
• labour exchanges act of 1909


  help unemployed people find work
• national insurance act of 1911


  introduced contribution scheme for sick and unemployment pay
• government tackled other public health issues in cities
• clean air act of 1956 & 1968


  encouraged gas and electricity usage aside coal to tackle air pollution
• gov. ordered slums to be cleared in 1960s
• new towns such as milton keynes established to fix overcrowding
• government has focused on prevention


  education about healthy eating (five a day), compulsory vaccination (polio), screening for common cancers (breast cancer)
• the beveridge report led to further welfare reforms and the national health service
• Beveridge report 1942


  set out proposals for welfare changes after WWII
• NHS created in 1948, health providers brought together to provide free service
• chadwick's report on the sanitary and living conditions of the poor, and the 1848 cholera epidemic (killing 53,000) put pressure on government to drop laissez-faire attitudes and pass a public health act