Struggle for the nation’s health

NHS NHS history

Lessons from the 1930s : the struggle for the nation’s health by Liz Peretz

Part of our NHS75 preparations.

The usual story about the NHS is that it was the result of the Second World War; that it came out of Beveridge and was engineered by Nye Bevan.
What is less talked about is the situation (early avoidable death, chronic ill health, inequality,  facing Britain in the earlier part of the century – and the political struggles pre world war 2 taking place to change this situation. The SMA (now SHA) was one of the key players in the fight; but there were others, claiming that ill health was costly, and that a ‘health’ (not just a ‘sickness’) service was crucial for the future. In this webinar I’ll be discussing some of the key findings from 1930s the Political and Economic Planning group in the later 1930s (which claimed commercialism had no place in  Britain’s health services) and Somerville Hastings’ 1932 blue print for a National health Service which he presented to parliament through the Labour Party.
This is work in progress! So I will hope for plenty of time for discussion

Zoom Link Mar 29, 2023 19:30 London

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