better access to care

• • in 1900, most sick cared for at home by female family members
  • role of government in medicine in 20th century increased access to care
• 1911 National Insurance Act:

  • Liberal government of 1906-1914 introduced National Insurance Act in 1911
  • allowed workers to access medical care
  • workers and government would pay into fund from which medical care would be paid for
  • support did not include families of workers
• • in 1919, Ministry of Health set up
  • first government department to have overview of health across country
  • by 1930s, many people still could not afford medical care or treatment
• NHS:

  • people had access to free health care during WW2 and wanted this to continue
  • 1942 - William Beveridge was government civil servant
  • published Beveridge Report to recommend National Health Service paid for by taxes and free
  • some opposition was that doctors worked privately and did not want to lose income
  • Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Health, agreed doctors could still treat private patients
• NHS:

  • introduced in 1948
  • provided free health care for all
  • showed that British government took responsibility for healthcare
• features of NHS were:

  • maternity and child welfare
  • home nursing
  • ambulances
  • blood transfusions
  • health centres
  • vaccinations
  • general practices
• mass vaccination programmes launced by government since 1900 on diseases:

  • diphtheria - 1942
  • polio - 1950
  • tetanus - 1961
  • measles - 1968
  • Covid 19 - 2020
• lifestyle campaigns:

  • government focused on educating people to help prevent disease
  • advertising campaigns developed against smoking, binge drinking
  • people encouraged to eat more healthily and exercise
• hospitals:

  • town councils and charities set up infirmaries that had outpatient departments
  • so, access to treatment for those who could not afford doctor improved
  • during 1920s, specialist hospitals set up to provide treatment for TB
  • NHS offered free treatment
  • improvements in training for doctors and nurses made specialists treatment more widely available
• GPs:

  • access to full range of treatment became available
  • GPs in the NHS able to refer patients to recieve specialist treatment from consultants at hospitals
  • GPs operated a panel system, so, people able to pay weekly sum to access treatment needed