{"id":3839,"date":"2018-06-30T11:09:34","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T11:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=3839"},"modified":"2026-05-28T16:07:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:07:01","slug":"what-changed-when-the-nhs-started","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/medicine-through-time\/medicine-through-time-teachers-resources\/what-changed-when-the-nhs-started\/","title":{"rendered":"What changed when the NHS started?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What changed when the NHS was established?<\/h2>\n

Why was the NHS established?<\/h2>\n

Learning Outcomes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

* To identify the changes that came about in the treatment of disease
\ndue to the creation of the NHS.
\n* To identify the main reasons why the NHS was established in 1948.
\n* To recognise advantages and disadvantages to the structure of the NHS
\nin the 21st Century.<\/p>\n

Video Starters<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/object><\/td>\n<\/td>\nTitle: Health
\ncare for all in 1948<\/strong>Duration: 04:49Description: The rise of the NHS is clearly explained here and
\nis tied in with the increase use of surgery to treat medical conditions.
\nThe completely free NHS lasted only four years before prescription
\ncharges had to be introduced as the scheme was costing more than
\nthe government was prepared to spend. An example is given of how
\nfar technology has brought us, from originally having only four
\nminutes to carry out a heart operation to modern day machines which
\ntake over the role of the heart.<\/p>\n

From
\nBBC Class Clips<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/td>\nLaunch
\nin external player<\/a>
\n<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/object><\/td>\nTitle: Introduction
\nof the National Health Service<\/strong>Duration: 00:53Description: The introduction of the National Health Service in
\n1948, entitling most people to free at point of access health care.
\nPersonal recollections compare access to medicine before and after
\nthe introduction of the NHS.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From BBC
\nClass Clips<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/td>\nLaunch
\nin external player<\/a>
\n<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When you have watched both of the video clips, share
\nyour thoughts on what the main arguments for and against establishing
\nthe NHS were on this page. <\/a><\/p>\n

Evaluating the impact of the NHS<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. The demand for the types of care provided by the NHS.<\/strong>
\nAs soon as it started there were 30 million people who registered with
\na doctor. The poor could go to a doctor, get treatment and not worry about
\nthe cost. Millions of prescriptions were written each year. The rich also
\nused the NHS. There were few private patients who still wanted to pay
\nfor treatment or hospital care: though there are still some areas in which
\npeople do opt, in relatively large numbers, to pay for private health
\ncare. The types of services offered by the NHS is vast, covering all manner
\nof health issues from pregnancy through to death.<\/p>\n

2. The treatment that the NHS gives patients.<\/strong>
\nOpen to everyone. More surgery is done. There are better anaesthetics
\nso there is more complicated surgery. There are heart transplants. Patients
\nare treated for cancer with surgery or chemotherapy. There are hip replacements.
\nChildless couples can get fertility treatment. Accident and emergency
\ndepartments treat millions of patients. Children are vaccinated against
\ndiseases like TB and measles. A criticism of the treatment that the NHS
\ngives is that in some cases the waiting time for the treatment is too
\nlong.<\/p>\n

3. Health education.<\/strong>
\nThere are campaigns about the risks from smoking. Fewer people smoke now
\nthan in the past. People are warned about alcohol abuse. The government
\nuses the NHS to spread ideas about the importance of a healthy diet and
\nregular exercise. As a result of these people are living longer. Life
\nexpectancy is around 80 years. This type of education includes health
\nvisitors, education packs for schools and for use in surgeries and public
\ninformation films.<\/p>\n

4. The health of the poorest people.<\/strong>
\nThe poor suffer more from cancer and heart disease. They are more likely
\nto smoke. They are also the least likely to access information about healthy
\nliving, partly because literacy levels tend to be lowest in more deprived
\nareas. For some of the poor a healthy diet is not possible due to the
\ncost. Fewer of the poor visit the dentist regularly.<\/p>\n

5. Women\u2019s health.<\/strong>
\nWomen now visit the doctor more often. They visit the doctor more than
\nmen do. Before the NHS they did not go as often as men (they did not have
\nhealth insurance). There are screening programmes for breast cancer and
\ncervical cancer.<\/p>\n

Explore an interactive
\nhistory<\/a> of the NHS to see how it has developed.<\/p>\n

Activity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Create your own short documentary about the NHS.<\/p>\n

How?<\/p>\n

Use software such as Windows Movie Maker to collate video clips, images
\nand text. You can add a voiceover or soundtrack if desired. Note – you
\nwill need to download the clips and possibly convert them into a different
\nformat, depending on which video editing software you are using. My pupils
\n– the files are all stored on the school network.<\/p>\n

Sources of Video Clips:<\/p>\n

Pathe
\nNews<\/a> – search results for NHS<\/p>\n

NHS
\nVideos<\/a> – current videos used by the NHS<\/p>\n

The
\nBBC<\/a> – the NHS at 60<\/p>\n

Sources of images:<\/p>\n

The Wellcome
\nTrust<\/a> – searchable image collection<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What changed when the NHS was established? Why was the NHS established? Learning Outcomes: * To identify the changes that came about in the treatment of disease due to the creation of the NHS. * To identify the main reasons why the NHS was established in 1948. * To recognise advantages and disadvantages to the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3808,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3839","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t