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NHS Social Changes

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The National Health Service has seen many political and financial changes since it began. The advance in medicine since the 19th century impacted the Britain significantly. The health of the nation has improved dramatically since the NHS formed. The timeline of events leading up to its formation are crucial. The health services in the 19th century consisted of self-employed doctors who were for the rich and charitable volunteers for the poor. Local authority hospitals catered for specific illnesses and health issues only, these included maternity and mental illness. The lack of control over housing allowed slums to be built, the poverty in these conditions led to malnutrition. Cholera and Typhoid epidemics bred quickly in the slums and it …show more content…

The production of the first contraceptive pills in 1951, another crucial discovery was the structure of DNA by 1953. In 1954 the first kidney transplant was a success followed by the first successful heart transplant in 1967. In 1978 First test-tube baby is born, followed by the identification of AIDS in 1983. More medical advances were made in the following years. Throughout the time of the NHS the vaccines for Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Chicken pox, Meningitis and Hepatitis A and B have been discovered. In 1998 the NHS direct is established, a breakthrough ifor the efficiency of the NHS,NHS Direct is a health line open 24/7 for health queries and advice. …show more content…

In 2012 The British Medical Association (BMA) made the decision to strike over major changes to the NHS pension scheme and the re-formation of the NHS structure without any discussion with the BMA first. Also in 2012 The Health and Social Care Act 2012 was introduced by the coalition government. It brought substantial changes to the way the NHS is organised, while work is also underway to improve the quality of social care and reform its funding. Robert Francis, chair of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry presented his final report to the Secretary of State for Health. It pointed out the errors with the current NHS and the falling standards of nursing and healthcare. From 2005 to 2009 Francis collected evidence about a large amount of preventable deaths of patients while waiting for treatment in Staffordshire hospital. He published his final report in February 2013. The Government published their response later on in the year. The full reaction focused powerfully on new legislation and direction to hospital trusts and their employees, planning to make the NHS more open, accountable and focused on safety and

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