Briefly describe the forming of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom; and then discuss the challenges facing this institution today in UK today.

Briefly Describe the Forming of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom : And then Discuss the Challenges Facing this Institution in the UK Today

The National Health Service (NHS ) was formed in the UK on July 5 1949 Its formation was part of the nationalization drive that epitomized post World War II UK which witnessed the establishment of the welfare state and the drive towards production of goods and services for public use instead of profit for private investors and owners (Yergin and Stanislaw , 1998 ) Thus reflecting the political economic philosophy

of the time , the establishment of a free for all health delivery system within a country outside the Eastern socialist /communist block of nations was quite extraordinary as other systems of health care in most western economies had adopted the insurance system - i .e . pay for health care when healthy and use the care when ill

Prior to the nationalization of health care under the NHS , health care providers like voluntary hospitals , municipal hospitals (that also provided mental health services , entrepreneurial cottage hospitals and specialist hospitals were already in existence . Local authorities also had departments responsible for health care services like midwifery and child welfare and also had authority to provide health care under the Poor Law . The NHS thus did not commence on a clean slate as these already existing health care establishments were inherited under the NHS . Also , health care for workers was covered under the Lloyd George 's National Insurance Act of 1911 , though this did not extend to the families of workers (Rivett , 1998 ) Though the role of the general practitioner (GP ) had been envisaged as crucial in providing non-specialised primary health care covering areas and activities like home visits and attending to patients in GP surgeries , prenatal and antenatal care , child welfare , venereal diseases , and industrial medicine , the reality of pre-NHS health care in the UK was very far from the realization of these ideals

According to Rivett (n .d ) the NHS in the UK was founded on the following principles

The service was financed almost 100 from central taxation . The rich therefore paid more than the poor for comparable benefits

Everyone was eligible for care , even people temporarily resident or visiting the country . Anybody could be referred to any hospital , local or more distant

Care was entirely free at the point of use , although prescription charges and dental charges were subsequently introduced

Organisation was based upon 14 Regional Hospital Boards that funded and oversaw local hospital management committees . The teaching hospitals were directly responsible to the Ministry of Health for they served the nation , not the locality

The NHS has three main interacting parties who have diverse stakes responsibilities , and expectations in the running of the health service - those who need health care , the skilled personnel who deliver health care , and those responsible for raising money and ensuring that the money is spent properly on the NHS (Rivett 1998 ) Undoubtedly , the formation of the NHS has had an immense impact on...