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No Bevan, No Nhs 1986

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No Bevan, No NHS 1986

The 5th July 1948, marked the end of of a tireless and extremely ambitious movement to bring satisfactory health care to each and every resident of the United Kingdom. It was on this date that Park Hospital in Manchester, was opened by the then health secretary Aneurin Bevan. Opticians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and doctors were for the first time brought together, under ‘one umbrella organisation, to provide services that are free for all at the point of delivery’ (nhs.uk, 2015)

The Second World War had left a considerable impact, in its wake - homelessness, disease and casualties. Directly, it had led to the establishment of an Emergency Medical Service. Its task was to oversee the treatment of civilian bombing casualties. At this point, existing authorities such as local councils, ran the hospitals. This was within a regional framework, with each role being decided on by the Ministry of Health. The war however did not create new welfare services, but it did ‘create the political will to change the basis on which these services were offered’ (Webster, 2001) Comprehensive proposals were further pushed forward by the publication of the Beveridge Report in 1942 on Social Insurance and Allied Services. It identified the main issues that were faced by British society and endorsed the idea of a comprehensive health service. Two years later, the White Paper, ‘A National Health Service’ (February 1944) was published. The paper summarised the overall

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