Evening star., 1949-02-27

upper classes, and to rouse the
national conscience to the evils OF
social inequality and ignorance.
It would be ludicrous to apply
the same structures to the medical
profession today, or to belittle the
important advances that have pro-
gressively raised the standard Of
public health in Britain.
But, by and large, the health
measures taken between the two
wars were little more than patch
work and plumbing. The inequali-
ties persisted, and the more lucra-
tive forms of private practice tend-
ed to attract the best brains and
skills of the medical profession
There was a steady drift of Brit
aims best medical men into the
fashionable square mile around
Harley street. in London, which
DR.. A. J. Cronin in his famous
book calls the Citadel"
Doctors Paid by State
The first attack on the Citadel
was made before World War J.
when Lloyd George preached the
ramparts with his famous Health
Insurance Act.
It has been left to another
Welshman, examiner Eneurin
Bevan, to invade the Citadel itself
and to translate into reality the
idea of a truly national health
service, with doctors paid by the
state to keep the country in
health"
Aneurin Bevan, Britain's Min
lister of Health, was brought up
in the poverty SCARED valleys of
South Wales, and as a boy he
watched his miner comrades
coughing their lungs out for want
of proper treatment. He resolved
to sweep away the class distinc-
tions in medicine, with it's sep
arate standards for those who
could pay and those who could
not.
July S, 1948. the day on which
his National Health Service Act
came into force, marked the start
of social revolution IN Britain,
not a mere paper or propaganda
revolution, but real transforma-
ton in the lives of millions of
citizens.
It was another Welshman, Jim
Griffiths, Minister of National In
surance-like Bevan, miners
member of Parliament-Who in
troduced the National Insurance
Act, which provides an umbrella
of social security for every man
woman and child in Britain from
the cradle to the crematoriun,
This act also came into force or
that memorable July S, 1948.
These two acts are the twin
pillars of Britain's postwar socia
legislation.
All-Embracing Service
Under the National Health
Service Act, everybody in the
country is entitled to free medica
treatment. This includes the
services of general practitioners
surgeons and specialists; out-pa-
tient and impatient treatment al
hospitals; drugs, medicines anc
surgical appliances; dentures
spectacles and deaf aids; mater
nifty and infant care, and treat
ment for mental sickness. Or
top Of all this, more than 2,50t
hospitals have been transferred tc
the state which has put them ir
the charge of the Regional Hos
pital Boards. The Regional Hos
pital Boards vary in size from %
to 80 members. All are unpaid
and there are 378 members alto
gether.
This is not something for moth
ing. OF the shillings 7 pence
(about 95 cents contributed
weekly to national insurance
by a man over 18, 8l2 pence
at cents is allocated to the
National Health Service, while
woman over 18 contributes 612
pence (13 cents out of her weekly
payment of shillings 10 pence
(about 80 cents. In addition / u
pence g cents of the employer
contribution goes to the health
service. Self employed and non
employed persons pay 10 pence
go cents if they are men
8 pence 16 cents if they are
women. But every man, woman
and child is entitled to use the
service, whether in the insurance
scheme or not, and every either
contributes to the common pool
directly or indirectly through rates
and taxes.
The health service scheme ha!
now been functioning less than 6
year, and, as was only to be ex.
pected in so great a social change
it has had its teething troubles.
Bulk of Doctors Join
Mr.. Bevan's chief difficulty ha
been the shortage Of doctors ane
nurses, and there has also beer
an acute shortage of hospital beds
The pressure on dentists and ey'
specialists has never been 81
great, while the rush to get den
lures and spectacles has been sucf
that many people, who have To-
years neglected their teeth ane
eyes, have had to wait for week.
for supplies. Surgery and hos
pital facilities have not been ade.
ouate. but while new housing ha!
first claim on building resources
many important health projects
have had to wait.
Nevertheless, despite the diff
culties, the National Health Serv'
ice scheme has worked remark
ably well in its initial stages.
Mr.. Bevan has, of course, beer