Write a 6 page essay on The history of NHS.Download file to see previous pages... Immediately before the formation of the NHS, the services obtainable were the same as after. no new hospitals were bui

Write a 6 page essay on The history of NHS.

Immediately before the formation of the NHS, the services obtainable were the same as after. no new hospitals were built nor hundreds of new doctors engaged. Admission to a doctor was free to workers, who were low-paid, but this didn't necessarily cover their relatives, nor did it cover workers with an improved standard of living. Hospitals took money for services, although from time to time poorer people would be compensated. Yet, it often implied paying for the service in the first place - which not everybody could have the funds for. The necessity of free of charge health care was widespread, but it was not possible to reach with no support or resources of the state.

After the Second World War there emerged a large need for military hospitals where soldiers could get medical care. After a while, NHS was established .The NHS worked according to the principles different from anything that had gone before in the UK, and not many other countries pursued these. First of all, the service was financed almost 100% from governmental taxation. The wealthy thus paid more than the poor for similar benefits. Then, everybody was entitled for care, even people temporarily resident or those who were visitors of the country. Anyone could receive medical care at any hospital, local or more remote. In addition, care was completely free at the point of use, even though prescription charges and dental charges were introducedlater. Finally, organization was based upon 14 Regional Hospital Boards that supported and managed more local hospital management committees. "It was a momentous achievement and everybody wanted the new service to work. However, food was still rationed, building materials were short, there was a dollar economic crisis and a shortage of fuel. The war had created a housing crisis - alongside post-war re-building of cities, and the designation of overspill areas, the New Towns Act (1946) created major new centres of population and all needed health services" (Dobson, Milburn, Reid, 2002, par. 4). The allocation of services was poor, with main hospitals in big cities but poor services in countryside. In some large counties there were almost no professional services at all. The NHS was established just at the time when immense improvement was happening in the availability of drugs. Antibiotics, better anaesthetic agents, cortisone, drugs for the treatment of mental disease such as depression, good diuretics for heart failure, and the antihistamines all became obtainable. These improvements, as well as better radiology systems, increased the cost of the NHS when treating the lot of the patient.

Financial problems were considerable. It had been difficult to cost in advance the day-to-day costs of the newly established service and expectations of people increased. In future this problem was solved with the extension of founds and financing from the government and creating of the insurance system.

A few years ago, at the beginning of 50s, a new service was established. Each family received a family doctor or general practitioner (GP). After that, as now, the family doctor worked as gatekeeper to the rest of the NHS, referred patients to proper hospitals or specialist treatment and prescribing medicines.