The National Health Service
1948 1948 1940s 38 pages 1 A SERVICE FOR THE NATION THE aim of the National Health Service Act, which came into force on 5th July, 1948, is to make all the health services available to every man, woman and child in the population, irrespective of their age, or where they live, or how much money they...
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| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
| Language: | English English |
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London : His Majesty's Stationery Office
1948
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/4443D9B7-A42D-48FB-960A-CBCC7D84FE42 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/5B3FFD21-EDE5-4383-A33B-191F1B02336D |
| Summary: | 1948
1948
1940s
38 pages
1 A SERVICE FOR THE NATION THE aim of the National Health Service Act, which came into force on 5th July, 1948, is to make all the health services available to every man, woman and child in the population, irrespective of their age, or where they live, or how much money they have ; and to make the total cost of the Service a charge on the national income, in the same way as the Defence Services and other national necessities. The Act aims at accomplishing this reform while fully maintaining the freedom of the individual. Members of the public can use the Service or not, as they wish ; use one complete part of it and not another ; and choose the family doctor whom they want. For the doctors, specialists, dentists and other professional men and women there is complete freedom to work for the Service or not ; or to work partly within the Service and partly in private practice. In fact, 19 out of 20 people very quickly chose their doctors and decided to use the family practitioner service ; and nine out of ten doctors and dentists, and nearly all the specialists, pharmacists and opticians are taking part. The National Health Service has been launched — with remarkable smoothness. Now Parliament, Press, public and professions have the task of helping the Government to ensure that it is developed on the best possible lines and used in the right way. The National Health Service is part of a programme of social legislation which also includes the National Insurance Act and National Assistance Act. Great enterprises such as these require large resources which can be made available only by the determined efforts of a people paying its way by its work. Britain and the world have been impoverished by a ruinous war. There is no quick or easy road from present shortages to future plenty ; but advances in post-war reconstruction can be maintained if the nation uses its resources sensibly, and steadily improves its productive capacity. The National Health Service started on 5th July, 1948, with the resources already at hand. There is still an urgent need for more nurses ; hospitals are short of staffed beds, and their out-patient departments are crowded. But doctors, dentists and nurses cannot be trained overnight, nor can new hospitals or health centres be built quickly when many thousands of new homes and hundreds of new schools are required at the same time. There have never been sufficient hospitals, clinics, nurses, 2
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |