Government Role in Medicine

National Health Service

• Healthcare was severely limited
• Poor couldn’t afford healthcare
• Health was poor
• National Insurance Act (1911) meant that sometimes health insurance was paid but this was made harder once WW1, and several economic slumps in the 20s and 30s happened

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• Beveridge wrote a report called ‘from the cradle to the grave’ emphasising the need for attention on all classes, and social security
• Report became a well known best seller
• Labour Party instated National Insurance and NHS
• NHS was founded in 1948
• Bevan was Minister of Health
• Bevan founded NHS essentially
• Bevan made sure it became compulsory for NHS to be funded by National Insurance
• Most doctors and hospitals had joined the NHS quickly

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They offer:

• Maternity services
• Accident and emergency care
• Major surgery

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• Pharmacies
• Sexual Health Care
• General Practitioners (GPs)
• Dentists
• Mental Health Services

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Vaccination Campaigns

Diphtheria

• Caused by bacteria in the nose and throat
• Leads to heart failure
• Vaccination made in 1926 but not widely used
• Government made public campaigns e.g: posters, radio broadcasts, newspaper advertisements
• Campaigns led to vaccine becoming widely used and cases rapidly decreasing

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Polio

• Infection that attacks digestive system, bloodstream, and nervous system
• Can lead to paralysis
• Mostly seen in children
• 40s and 50s saw polio epidemics making many children disabled
• National campaigns came with the release of the vaccination in 1956
• Cases are now rare

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Lifestyle Campaigns

• Laws e.g: limiting air pollution to prevent lung diseases such as asthma or bronchitis
• Change4Life - campaigning for healthy eating and exercise since levels of obesity were increasing
• Drinkaware - campaign for drinking responsibly/not in excessive amounts since alcoholism was increasing

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