The impact of the National Health Service on the United Kingdom
Introduction
This report will look at the National Health Service, which is a significant part of the current welfare state in the United Kingdom. It is for people who would like to know more about health system of contemporary Britain. In this paper, it will begin by looking at the healthcare background and reforms, and will show how the NHS has affected British citizens. Finally, according to the current healthcare system, brief conclusions are drawn.
Outline
It is well known that the United Kingdom is a welfare state. A welfare state means a government that provides a range of policy and public facilities so that all citizens can have a good life. However, in terms of the welfare state in the United Kingdom, when the first welfare state was established is a subject of intense debate. The objectives of the welfare state were announced in 1942 by William Beveridge, the architect of the post-war welfare reforms, as the abolition of 'Want, Idleness, Squalor, Ignorance and Disease', by which he meant poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and lack of access to decent education and health care (Abercrombie, et al.
The National Health Service Norfolk and Norwich Un...
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, a Nationa...
The logo of NHS Wales2000, p. 429). The period from 1945 to 1970 is known as the 'golden age' of the welfare state. In terms of health care, it is a significant part of welfare from the past to now.
The most spectacular feature of the welfare state was the National Health Service (NHS) introduced by Bevan in 1946, and coming into effect in July 1948 (Morgan 2000). The ideal of the National Health Service was that all citizens could get medical and dental services for free, such as hospitals, doctors, nurses, dentists, ambulance services and other health facilities. Before the NHS was established,