Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Financing Health Care - Part 1
Lecture:Types of Health Care Systems
Slide content:How the NHS Began 1946 National Health Service Act passed Authorized NHS Began covering medical services July 1948 Goal - Provide free health care for all citizens Ambitious and controversial project Health minister Aneurin Bevan 90% of British doctors joined 10
Slide notes:In 1946, the British Parliament, the legislative body in the UK, passed the National Health Service Act, which authorized the NHS. This Act was part of a group of laws designed to strengthen the social safety net for British citizens after World War II. The NHS began covering medical services in July of 1948. The goal of the NHS was to provide free, tax-funded health care to all British citizens, regardless of their income. Before the NHS was established, many British residents could not afford to go to a doctor. The NHS was an ambitious and controversial project. There was stiff opposition to it from the British Medical Association, which represented Britains doctors. The Association was afraid that doctors would lose their independence and earn less money if they left private practice to work for the NHS. To persuade doctors to join the NHS, the health minister at the time, Aneurin Bevan, said that if they worked for the NHS, they could also maintain their private practices. He famously said that he was stuffing their mouths with gold to convince doctors to join. His approach worked. Ultimately, ninety percent of British doctors joined the NHS by the time it began providing services. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 4.0 10