britain since c.1900

1919 Addison Act

• councils had to build new rented housing for working class people

• house building was to be funded through taxation

• standards were established for space, water supply and drainage

• it was COMPULSORY

1930 Housing Act

• councils could force slum landlords to sell their properties to the council

• these could then be demolished and rebuilt

• led to some councils building low-rise blocks of flats with 3 or 4 stories

impact of war on living conditions, 1939-1945

• 475,000 homes were damaged by bombing

• led to more space-efficient housing being built

  • 1980 - 4,500 tower blocks

1979

42% of the population lived in council housing (vs. 1% at the start of the 1900s)

1980 Housing Act

tenants had the right to buy their council property

why did food supply improve at the start of the 1900s

• import of grain from USA

  • lower prices from 1870

• imports of meat

• cheaper goods

• tinned food

cost of food comparison, working families

• 1914 - 60% of household income

• 1937 - 37% of household income

how did WW2 impact food supply and diet

• rationing - people adopted a more balanced diet

• agriculture - people were encouraged to grow their own vegetables

WW2 weekly ration for 1 adult

• 4oz of bacon/ham

• 8oz of sugar

• 2-3 pints of milk

• 4oz of margarine

• 3oz of sweets

technology in changing diet

• 1979 - first ready meal (chicken kiev) in M&S

• 1978 - invention of microwave

• 1960s - invention of refrigerator

National Health Service (NHS) Act - 1946

• laid down provision to provide wide range of medical services

• service was to be free at the point of care and funded by National Insurance contributions and taxes

• established by Aneurin Bevan

why did Aneurin Bevan face hostility from the medical establishment

• opposition from GMC (General Medical Council)

• over 40,000 medical practitioners were opposed to the NHS

• only 5,000 (often younger) doctors supported it

• idea of LAISSEZ FAIRE held many older doctors back from supporting it

impact of the NHS Act - 1946

• National Insurance Act of 1911 largely only protected working men, not women or children

• consequently, many people who needed medical attention did not obtain it because of the cost

• many did not go to the doctor unless they were extremely ill

• the NHS Act of 1946 meant a wider audience was able to access healthcare, decreasing the UK’s mortality rates

services provided by NHS, 1948-1949

• spectacles - 8.25 million

• dental treatment - 8.5 million

• prescriptions - 187 million

life expectancy, men, 1900-1950

• 1901 - 51

• 1930 - 58

• 1950 - 66

life expectancy, women, 1900-1950

• 1901 - 55

• 1930 - 62

• 1950 - 70

how was smoking promoted after WW2

• 1947 - British government introduced free smoking tokens to pensioners to help them buy cigarettes

• 1950 - 80% of men and 40% of women smoked

what steps were taken to tackle the dangers of smoking after the Smoking and Health report, 1962

• 1964 - cigarette advertising was banned on TV

• 1971 - government health warnings were printed on cigarette packs

• 1998 - government agreed to fund free nicotine replacement therapies for anyone trying to quit

• 2007 - smoking was banned in all public places

2005 medical report on smoking

smoking killed 11,000+ in Britain in 2005

why was the UK government slow to act to address smoking problems

• government relied on the income from the tax on every cigarette sold

• tobacco companies used their considerable wealth to defend the industry against restrictions

• fear that smoking bans in public places would increase smoking at home, putting the health of children at risk

1900 - population fitness levels

40% of men from industrial towns were deemed too weak due to malnourishment

1904

free school meals and medical examinations introduced in Britain

2006

33% of teenagers deemed too unfit for military service due to obesity

1952

• December 5th 1952

• thick yellow smog covered London and remained for 4 days

impact of December 5th 1952

caused 10,000-13,000 early deaths

Clean Air Act 1956

• introduction of smoke control areas

• reduced smoke and pollution from household fires

• reduced factory emissions

• higher and more effective chimneys

• stimulated debate about health and pollution

cars and pollution in the late 1900s

• growth in car ownership and use

  • 1980-1990 - use up by 25%

• movement towards lead-free fuels

1914-1918

17 million died in WW1

1918-1919

50 million people died globally of Spanish Influenza

how many people died from Spanish Influenza in Britain

228,000

what did Spanish Influenza originate from

virus from birds

how did people react to Spanish Influenza

wearing face masks

2 theories on where Spanish Influenza originated from

• among soldiers in Fort Riley, North America

• trenches on the Western Front

differences in experiences of Spanish Influenza between Western Samoa and American Samoa - NATIONAL

• Western Samoa - had no maritime quarantine

  • worst experience of flu globally

  • 25% of population died

• American Samoa - imposed 5 day maritime quarantine

  • nobody died of flu

differences in experiences of Spanish Influenza between Milwaukee and Philadelphia - LOCAL

• Milwaukee - led by Health Advisor imposed rudimentary social distancing, limited access to common spread sites (e.g. cinema)

  • population largely unaffected

• Philadelphia - authorities weren’t proactive

  • population was largely affected

what 2 medical disciplines became popular following Spanish Influenza

• virology

• epidemiology

describe the work of Dr Niven in Manchester

• RESEARCH:

  • kept detailed records of each flu victim’s case

• PRACTICAL ACTION:

  • issued flu advice leaflets, insisting on regular hand washing, using handkerchiefs and wearing face masks

• PUBLICITY:

  • insisted theatres and cinemas could only stay open if they had good ventilation

describe phase 1 of the AIDS outbreak in Britain, (1970s-1983)

• 1982 - 7 people died of AIDS in Britain

• Terrence Higgins Trust - set up by one of the 7 people who died of AIDS in Britain

  • Raised funds for research

  • Raised awareness on the illness

• 1983 - media first took interest in AIDS

  • Happened after a number of people contracted AIDS after blood transfusions

  • Media emphasised that the condition was normally spread by gay men - CREATES STIGMA

• Some Church leaders preached AIDS was God's punishment against drug addicts and gay people

• GROWING AWARENESS

describe phase 2 of the AIDS outbreak in Britain, (1984-1985)

• Some fire service staff stopped giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for fear of infection

• Some churchgoers refused to share the cup which everyone drank from at Holy Communion

• Parents withdrew the children from a class when one pupil contracted HIV through a blood transfusion

  • Demonstrates a lack of medical knowledge on the cause of the disease

• 1985 - people's fears increased when the Royal College of Nursing wrongly predicted Britain would have 1 million cases of AIDS by 1991

  • Resulted in government ordering hospitals to detain AIDS patients

  • Doctors and visitors had to wear gowns, masks and gloves when coming into contact

• GROWING ALARM

describe phase 3 of the AIDS outbreak in Britain, (1986-1987)

• Charity groups provided clean needles to drug addicts to reduce cross-infection

• Government funded free testing for HIV at hospitals and all donated blood was screened

• Government organised an AIDS prevention campaign

• A range of media helped dispel myths around the spread of AIDS

• April 1987 - Princess Diana shook hands with an AIDS patient

• GROWING UNDERSTANDING

describe phase 4 of the AIDS outbreak in Britain, (1988-1995)

• 1991 - storyline included in Eastenders about a character who was diagnosed with HIV

• 1991 - Freddie Mercury died of AIDS

• 1992 - tribute concert and special release in memory of Freddie Mercury raised £20 million for AIDS causes

• 1995 - 25,000 people had been diagnosed with HIV

  • 12,000 developed AIDS

  • 8,500 died

• GROWING ACCEPTANCE

describe phase 5 of the AIDS outbreak in Britain, (from 1996)

• 1996 - scientists invented anti-retrovirals that delayed the onset of AIDS in HIV-positive people

  • Many people falsely believed this was a cure to AIDS

• After the invention of anti-retrovirals, the contraction of HIV paradoxically increased

  • 2009 - 100,000 people living with HIV in Britain

    • 40,000 were gay men, the rest were heterosexual men and women

• GROWING COMPLACENCY