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

• 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

They offer:

• Maternity services

• Accident and emergency care

• Major surgery

• Pharmacies

• Sexual Health Care

• General Practitioners (GPs)

• Dentists

• Mental Health Services

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

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

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