Medicine Through Time

By 1939 the welfare services in Great Britain were one of the most advanced in the world. Even so the system was in an unco-ordinated muddle. Some services were provided by government, some such as hospitals were provided by voluntary funds, and most doctors were paid privately, and only the well-off could afford them.

Poor people often went without medical treatment, relying instead on dubious and sometimes dangerous home remedies or on the charity of doctors who gave their services free to their poorest patients. Access to a doctor was free to workers who were on low pay, but this didn't necessarily cover their wives or children, nor did it cover workers with a better standard of living. Hospitals charged for services, though sometimes poorer people would be reimbursed. Even so, it often meant paying for the service in the first place - which not everyone could afford.

The need for free health care was widely recognised, but it was impossible to achieve without the support or resources of the state.

As a senior member of the Government what are you going to do?