3. NHS Flashcards
Why did WWII increase the demand for a national health service?
- People had seen evacuees from the slums and the poor health they had
- People felt they deserved a better quality of life as a reward for their wartime suffering
What did the Beveridge Report say about healthcare in Britain?
People were getting trapped in a ‘poverty trap’. They became ill and couldn’t work. Without work, they couldn’t afford medicine, so struggled to get better.
When was the Beveridge Report published?
1942
Which political party gave full support to the Beveridge Report?
The Labour Party
When did the National Health Service Act pass parliament?
1946
When was the NHS actually introduced?
1948
Before WWII, who in the family had access to healthcare?
The worker - normally the male in the family - was covered by insurance schemes. Their families were not covered.
What did the NHS provide for everyone?
Free healthcare at the point of use: e.g. free doctor and equal access to healthcare
Between 1948 and 1975, what did the infant mortality rate fall from and to?
It fell from 65,000 per year in 1948 to 20,000 per year by 1975
What did the reduction in infant mortality mostly owe to?
Improved healthcare for women, particularly during pregnancy and follow up care for babies.
What did the NHS provide free from the 1960s onwards?
The contraceptive pill
Until the 1970s, who was the pill only available to?
Married women
Following a shortage of doctors in the NHS in 1963, where did the British government advertise for more doctors?
India and Pakistan
By 1971, what percentage of doctors had come from abroad?
30% of NHS doctors had come from abroad
