C12 - Modern Public Health Flashcards
What was Booth’s report?
Life and Labour of the People in London:
Found that 30% of Londoners were so poor they didn’t have enough money to eat properly, despite having full-time jobs. Demonstrated that there was a link between poverty and high death rate.
What was Rowntree’s report?
Poverty: A Study of Town Life (investigated York)
Found that 28% of the population did not have the minimum amount of money to live on at some time of their life
How did the Boer War highlight poor public health?
- in 1899, a large-scale recruitment campaign took place to find men to fight in the Boer War
- army chiefs were alarmed by the fact that 40% of the men who volunteered were unfit to be soldiers, mostly due to poor diet and poverty-related illnesses
- the government set up a special committee to enquire into the ‘Physical Deterioration of the People’
- in 1904, the committee released its report, concluding that many men were failing to get into the army because of the unhealthy way they lived their lives
What caused government action on public health?
- the reports fuelled fears that the unhealthy state of Britain’s workers may lead to a decline of Britain as a great industrial power. Germany, which has a good system of welfare for workers, was beginning to produce as much coal, iron and steel as Britain
- some politicians believed that direct action from the government was the way to improve the public health, welfare and productivity of the nation
- the Liberal party was also worried about the popularity of the Labour Party, so they wanted measures that would appeal to working people to stop them voting for labour.
What were some key liberal reforms?
1906 - free school meals provided for poor children
1907 - school medical service set up - free medical inspections, followed later by free treatment
1908 - Children and Young Person’s Act introduced; children became ‘protected persons’, which meant that parents were breaking the law if they neglected them
1908 - Old Age Pensions are introduced, paid for by national taxes
1909 - Britain’s first job centres are built
1911 - National Insurance Act introduces unemployment benefit, free medical treatment and sickness pay
What was the impact of two world wars on public health?
- the need for health soldiers to defend Britain highlighted the importance of tackling poor health and poverty
- after WW1, the building of overcrowded back-to-back housing was banned
- in 1918, local councils had to provide health visitors, clinics for pregnant women and day nurseries
- in 1919, councils began to build houses for poorer families and by 1930, a huge slum clearance programme had started
- but during WW2, people were shocked at the health of the evacuated city children
What was the Beveridge report?
In 1942, a report about the state of Britain by Sir William Beveridge sold over 100,000 copies in its first month of publication.
It said that people has a right to be free of the ‘five giants’ which could ruin their lives:
- want
-ignorance
-squalor
-idleness
-disease
The report suggested ways to improve quality of life and said that the government should ‘take charge of social security from the cradle to the grave’.
What happened under the welfare state?
The National Health Service (NHS) was et up in 1948 to provide free health treatment for everyone.
A weekly family payment helped with childcare costs
The very poor received financial help or ‘benefits’
More slums were demolished and new houses built. Twelve new towns were created. By 1948, 280,000 council homes were being built each year.
How did the NHS develop?
- when Aneurin Bevan (Labour Minister for Health) introduced the NHS in 1948, he overcame opposition from doctors who did not wish to come under government control or lose income
- Bevan won them over by promising them a salary and allowing them to treat private patients as well
- over the years, the cost of the NHS has rocketed. In 2015-16, the NHS budget was £116 billion in total
- the NHS is not totally free. Working people today have to pay for doctor’s prescriptions and dental treatment.
What are some key points about healthcare in the twenty-first century?
- modern drugs are very expensive and modern medicine mean that people are living longer. There are more elderly people than ever before, who use the NHS more than younger people
- healthy eating campaigns and new laws try to protect Britain’s citizens and prevent them from needing expensive medical care in the future. Tobacco advertising was banned in 2005.
- initiatives such as checking for early signs of cancer, understanding how to spot signs of a stroke victim and trying to encourage people to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day are all aimed at making Britain healthier
- technological breakthroughs improve the health of the people. ‘Digital therapy’ for example, is designed for patients who need at-home care or who can’t travel to a doctor’s surgery or hospital
