Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-xtgtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T15:10:11.914Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The National Health Service celebrates its 50th birthday

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Robert E. Kendell*
Affiliation:
Royal College of Psychiatrists, 17 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PG
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The National Health Service (NHS) was born on 5 July 1948, after a prolonged and difficult labour, and in 1949 it cost the Treasury all of $433 million, or 3.5% of Britain's gross domestic product. In 1997/98 it cost the Treasury $44203 million, 5.6% of gross domestic product, and on 5 July this year it celebrates its 50th anniversary with parades, speeches, television programmes, symposia, much nostalgia and a service of thanksgiving in Westminster Abbey.

Type
Editorials
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

References

Bottomley, V. (1998) Letter to The Times. Monday 16 February. London: The Times.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Social Security and Welsh Office (1971) Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped. Cmnd 4683. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Social Security (1975) Better Services for the Mentally III. Cmnd 6233. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Johnson, S. Ramsay, R. Thornicroft, G. et al (1977) London's Mental Health. London: King's Fund.Google Scholar
National Health Service (1962) A Hospital Plan for England and Wales. Cmnd 1604. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Rivett, G. (1988) From Cradle to Grove: Fifty Years of the NHS. London: King's Fund.Google Scholar
Tooth, G. C. & Brooke, E. M. (1961) Trends in mental hospital population and their effect on future planning. Lancet. 1. 710713.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.