The NHS: Britain's National Health Service, 1948–2020

by Susan Cohen

A beautifully illustrated introduction to the NHS, which traces its history from its origins and establishment following the end of the Second World War, right up to the present day, and explores the ever-changing challenges of providing national healthcare in the modern world.

1948 marked a turning point in British history, for it was the year that the National Health Service began. Inaugurated by the health minister, Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan, the new nationwide system was established to provide countrywide free healthcare for every citizen at the point of use, and, as Bevan believed, would 'lift the shadow from millions of homes.' No longer would people have to fear paying for their medical care and potentially being pushed into poverty. Every aspect of medical care began to change, gradually affecting the way that the profession, including doctors, nurses, district nurses, dentists, opticians, pharmacists and hospitals practiced and operated. It also created new opportunities, enabling the scope of treatments available to grow.

This beautifully illustrated book traces the origins of the NHS, from Florence Nightingale, to the NHS beginnings in 1948 and the subsequent decades and introduces readers to the people who worked for the NHS and to the men, women and children who benefited from the new universal system. Viewed through the prism of social history, and using personal recollections, this story takes account of the debates surrounding the evolving system, and looks at the way that innovation and science have transformed healthcare since the NHS began.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medicine

64 pages, Paperback

Published May 4, 2021

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to the publishers and netgalley for a free copy in return for an open and honest review

Found this book very interesting and gives an overview of the history of the NHS from its start to the modern day Covid19 pandemic which most people will find to be in easy language to understand.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review will be live on my blog on 4th May 2021 – publication day!

I thought that this book was great and it is a real tribute to the NHS in my view.

It covers the main issues that the NHS have had to deal with since it was created in 1948 through to the Covid-19 outbreak and the massive impact of that on the National Health service. It was well written and it is in a format that people will enjoy and it is easy to follow as it is done in a chronological order.

I have recently done a bit of research on my family tree and found the papers from when my grandma was first registered as a nurse when the NHS was founded too as she has been a nurse throughout the Second World War coming over with her sisters from Ireland to help.

I find social history fascinating and this was an ideal book for me as it shows how we, as a nation, have changed our approaches, the development of the vaccinations and medications and even now in the 2020s the more to more digital appointments and video calls.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a fascinating book with some excellent images – very highly recommended!!

[Kera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a brief but concise look into the NHS - from its conception in 1948 to the current day.

It was truly fascinating to learn about our NHS, something which is used by and benefits every single Britain. I enjoyed the photos that were included, which added an extra layer to the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have immersed myself in NHS literature throughout the course of this year -the stories of nurses, of GPs and of Doctors have fascinated me as I try and understand more of the amazing people who pursue a medical profession and what their work involves. It feels right to understand at this moment in history when so much depends on their contribution and on the institution that is the NHS. This book takes my understanding to a new level, condensing the history of public health and a Public Health Service into 64 pages. Sweeping through the years from 1948 to 2020 Cohen covers the inception of public health - the ‘most civilised step any country had taken’, developments in medicine and treatment, political initiatives, the evolution of new career paths for Nurses, Doctors and other medical professionals and health crises such as polio, Aids and Covid. The narrative is accompanied by a diverse range of photos. Cohen writes with a lightness of touch and she handles a significant amount of history and information confidently and with fluidity, threading in dates and developments from every area. Reading the book made me so conscious of the vastness of the service whether in numbers of patients and personnel but also the vastness of the task. I greatly enjoyed reading this book and gained a better understanding of what made the NHS what Is now and the importance of maintaining and funding it for future generations. With thanks to Netgalley and Shire Publications for a digital copy of this book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read for anyone who is interested in health care in the UK. The NHS is a vital service – their work is invaluable to millions. The writing isn’t limited to the years in the title, it also includes some very interesting background information around the years prior to its inception in 1948 with fascinating statistics and explanations as to why such a service was vital to the health and wellbeing of the UK population. It’s extremely well researched with a wealth of information contained within its sixty four pages.

There are also numerous images depicting many different aspects of the service over the years. It was interesting to see a photograph of a health centre in my area which was one of the first of its kind to be opened in 1953 (one of the many statistics I learnt in the book) and the fact that it looks almost exactly the same nearly 70 years on.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in health care or indeed anyone who has ever been treated by the NHS, which probably covers the entire population of the UK (and a few others world wide!)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

With healthcare a hot topic here in the United States, it was interesting to read The NHS and get insight into the development of the UK's government-funded healthcare system. Not living in the UK, I was only passingly familiar with the NHS. This book provides a picture of the NHS from its inception through current day, and gives good insight into how the program works, how it is intended to work, and the challenges it has faced over the years.

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions here are my own, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

[Miss C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a an excellent brief summary of the history of the NHS from its beginnings after the war to the pandemic we now find ourselves in. The book is well written and based on fact, it explains the social and political issues surrounding the NHS without getting into a blame debate. As a health and social care teacher I intend to put this on my essential reading list for my students. Thanks you for this Susan Cohen your hard work, quality research and concise explanation have left us with a powerful book about a system we should be proud of.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher in return for an honest review. I have always had an interest in reading medical and health care related books. This book covers the birth of the NHS and goes right up to the modern day. I found this book was easy to read and understand. It was well written and interesting. It is very factual and informative. There are photographs and images that depict how things have changed since the NHS was started. I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Sharon Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being ex NHS I was really interested in reading more about the NHS. I have been lucky to work in several health services in other countries and have seen the impact of private health on those with little or no insurance.
I liked reading the history of public health and the inception of the NHS. Susan Cohen is a skilled writer and covers a big topic well with enough detail and pace to make it interesting.
Cohen also covers the challenges , innovations and is up to 2020.
4 Stars ⭐️

[Annabelle Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought it from a anatomy exhibition gift shop at a museum, really good overview of the journey that the NHS has had since its opening and the advanced in medicine and the structure of healthcare overtime.
Quite descriptive and jumpy from one thing to the next but loved the labelled pictures and overall points. Could have been in a bit more detail and provided further insight into medicine through time as i feel i could have learnt more and been invested longer in a book.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

NHS, The: Britain's National Health Service, 1948–2020 by Susan Cohen was a very interesting read and I am so glad I read about the NHS and how it all started. Its been a lifesaver for so many

Thanks to the Osprey Publishing Shire Publications and netgalley for a free copy in return for an open and honest review

[Kaveesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a passable introduction to the NHS, however it lacks any depth into the actual struggles of the NHS. Without this analysis, I find we can't fully appreciate how remarkable the NHS truly is.

I understand that it is supposed to be brief but its surface-level history does the NHS a disservice.

[Mrs Julie Gargett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a very interesting book to read, more so because I grow up listening to my granny reminiscing about being a nurse just before it changed into the NHS, and my aunt being a nurse afterwards!
It was factual with out being over the top so it is easy to understand.
Thank you netgalley.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book it had some very interesting information about the history of the NHS. I was partially excited to see a mention to my local hospital! The only downside was it was a very dry book and did read like a facts sheet at times.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive and interesting, it's a good introductory guide to the system, its founding, development and woes. Although some of the technical terms and descriptions aren't entirely explained, it's still an interesting read.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like I was expecting a lot more from this book so I was utterly underwhelmed which was a shame. I wanted it to be a little more interesting instead of a fact sheet.