People’s Health - Modern Period/20th Century Flashcards
Diet - Positives
• Better checks on the quality of food and from Spain, America and New Zealand - varied and exotic diet
• Grocery chains became popular - Sainsbury’s, Lipton’s - food is more accessible and cheaper
• Rationing food in WW2 improved health - prevented obesity
Diet - Negatives
• Fears about artificial ingredients (added sugars, colour, salt) have led to health concerns
• Food is now processed with cans, refrigeration, and pre-cooked meals - less nutritional value, ‘under-nourished but over fed nation’ as described by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
• Luxuries like chocolate, biscuits and jam have become more affordable - this added sugar has led to more obesity and diabetes
• Since the 1980s, there have been several health scares about food, e.g. chicken and sugar
• Indian, Chinese food and other takeaways became more popular since 1970s which has worsened health
• In 2013 - 44% of men and 33% of women were declared overweight. The BMA today often highlights this issues
Leisure and inactivity
• During WW2 people did more physical activity as fuel was rationed and public transport reduced - beneficial for health
• Labour saving devices have made us become more inactive: computers, TV
• After 1970s, most families could afford a car - more in active
• Growth in leisure/tech industries means we are less active than in 1900s
• Longer holidays and shorter working hours, growth in office jobs - less active
Housing
• Most public housing is now in private landlords’ hands and there is a lack of affordable council houses and flats
• High-rise blocks of flats create their own problems. Loneliness, building quality and isolation increase
• Cheap high rise accommodation with gas and electricity after WW2
Air quality
• The Clean Air Act 1956 smokeless fuel and created smoke free areas
• Since 1980, a high increase in car ownership increased air pollution and asthma
• Burning coal led to smog in the first part of the 20th century
Government
• Between 1964 and 2016 the government took steps to tackle smoking and banned smoking in public places
• NHS was brought in as part of the Labour government’s war on poverty, ignorance and disease in 1944
• In 1974, the Health and Safety at Work Act came in with laws to protect workers
• Action on smoking has been criticised as too slow as tax revenue would have been lost. Tobacco companies also pressured governments
• 1902 saw the first Liberal Law and the Midwives Act to help mothers and babies
• In 1908 Old Age Pensions were introduced for the first time to prevent the elderly from going to workhouses
NHS
• Brought in as part of Labour’s war on poverty, ignorance and disease
• NHS was set up and opened in January 1948. Offered free health to all British people
• Initially, NHS saw criticism from doctors from private practises
• Clement Atlee - prime minister who passes the law
Why was the NHS introduced?
• William Beveridge (1879 - 1963) was a social economist who published a report titled ‘Social Insurance and Allied Services’ in 1942 which provides blueprint for social policy in post-war Britain
• Identified ‘Five Giant Evils’ in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness and disease - gov. need to tackle
• Following WW2 there were lots of casualties, so NHS was the way to tackle it
How has our health stayed the same?
• Still have NHS now - everyone has access to healthcare
• Still have vaccinations, maternity wards
• Blood transfusions still possible
Why is it an important event in the history of public health?
• Before NHS healthcare was a luxury
• Working class now had access to healthcare, which previously they would have had to save emergency money for - expectation of good health was low
• Before NHS, people expected to be ill
How does it affect the people’s health?
• 1st year - 33 million dentures made - nation had bad teeth
• Everyone has access - women, men, children, poor, etc
• Life expectancy increased
• 8 million people hadn’t seen a doctor before 1948 because they couldn’t afford it
• Medical breakthroughs - cancer treatments - transplants
• Infant mortality decreases
How has our health improved/worsened?
• People have to wait up to a year for treatments
• Higher life expectancy (male from 65.9 - 79.5) (females from 70.3 - 83.1)
• Prescription charges have increased from free in 1948 - £8.80 in 2018 (England)
• Not everything is free
• Dental work/opticians are no longer free
• Waiting list for operation
• Major breakthroughs possible
Government housing after WW1 - positive
• 1909 - parliament banned any new back-to-back housing
• Housing Act of 1919 - councils became landlords for poor by building new rented housing for working class people
• Taxes used to fund local building programme
• New standards for space, water supply an drainage - controlled damp-proofing, ventilation and window sizes
• 1921-1932 (Country Fit for Heroes) - promised 500,000 new houses
• work began in Dagenham and 25,000 were built
• Local councils set up housing committees
• Housing Act in 1930 - councils could force private landlords to sell their houses in slums to council
• Slums then cleared and land used to build new, clean homes
• MT passed a housing act in 1980 - tenants have the right to buy council homes
• rise in renting from private landlords
• can work very well, however reports in last decade revealed 50% of private rented housing failed to meet gov standards set in 2000 - eg damp, excessive cold, poor lighting
Housing and government after WW1 - negative
• Poor families still living in unhealthy houses in 1900
• Private land-lords rent out back-to-back hoses to working class families
• Worst slums remained throughout the 20th century , poor living here
• Private land lords didn’t build new houses for poor families
• Bomb damage from WWII meant 475,000 houses destroyed
• Flats went high rise - 4500 tower blocks built by 1980 and although the modern facilities were positive, people became lonely and depressed as away from communities in neighbourhoods
• 1979 - 42% of pop living in council housing compared to 1% in 1900
• Law from MT meant fewer houses available for those in need
Change since 1900-2000 (government and welfare)
• Biggest change at the end of WWII when labour are elected
• NHS is created in 1948
• 2010 - cost of welfare state is too much
Continuity in 1900(government and welfare)
• 1880s - men over age of 21 can vote
• 1906 - 1911 - laws passed to make life better for the poor
• Beginning of ‘welfare state’ gov use tax to pay for people
Change since 1900-2000 (Science and Technology)
• chemical industries led to many advances
• antibiotics and contraceptive pill
• war is more deadly
• new environmental changes
Continuity in 1900(science and technology)
• 1896 - first motor cars used on British roads
• Cinemas
• Advances in travel and communication
Change since 1900-2000 (beliefs and values)
• 1948 - Declaration of Human Rights
• Most people in Britain turned to science - only 10% attend church
Continuity in 1900 (beliefs and values)
• 1896- British Humanist’s Society is founded and people began to question God
• First World War added to doubt in belief of God
Change since 1900-2000 (work and wealth)
• Taxes mean bigger middle class
• Most people have much more comfortable lives
• More jobs in service industries
