Wellfare State Flashcards
What were the successes of the NHS?
> seen as one of the greatest successes of the Labour Party, - removed the fear of illness and provided a fairer community with less emphasis on class divides
> by 1949: 8.5 million had received dental care, 5.75 million glasses and 187 million prescriptions.
> by 1951 only 1.5% of population were not included.
What were the criticisms of the NHS?
> doctors were very opposed to it, there were warnings by the BMA of its unsustainable nature.
- limited doctors wages and freedom.
> it perhaps was preoccupied with curing illness rather than promoting healthy living
> fees for glasses and false teeth were reintroduced in 1951 because of the harsh economic climate
How was ‘want’ dealt with?
> 1946 National Insurance Act
> provided benefits for pregnant women and the unemployed
- pensions for elderly
How was ‘disease dealt with?
> 1946 National Health Insurance Act
How was ‘ignorance’ dealt with?
> 1947 Education act ( first passed in 1944)
> provided free compulsory education up to 15.
- meals milk and medical care instituted in all schools
> 11+ exams
How was ‘Idleness’ dealt with?
1948 employment and training act
How was squalor dealt with?
1946 housing act
> 1946 new towns act
- pre-fabs were made and by 1948 130,000.
- lasted longer than expected
> good quality council housing
- restrictions on sale and building of private homes
- ” houses for all”
Almost 1 million houses were made
How successful was the 1947 Education act?
Largely because it provided a good basic education for everyone
> gave many the skills needed to secure employment
Describe the NHS
> free healthcare at point of use
> comprehensive and available to all members of public
> provided everything from drug prescriptions to optical care
> all hospitals were incorporated into 1 system
> all Gps, hospitals and health systems were to be controlled by NHS
What were some criticisms of the 1947 Education act?
> some Labour MPs believed that all schools should be comprehensive schools and pupils of all abilities taught together
> due to insufficient funds only a few technical schools were built
What were the criticisms of the labour rebuilding policy?
> Conservatives thought that Labour were focussed on wrong areas
> investing in rebuilding industrial capacity and transport infrastructure
- jobs and prosperity would ‘sort themselves out’
What were the failures of the Labour Party 1945-51?
- ) although there was still support for the maintenance and in some cases expansion of the Wellfare State, the public were unwilling to pay for it
- ) under labour taxes had increased and stayed high
- ) taxes were especially resented by middle class voters
- ) rationing continued until 1955
- )inflation crept up and prices increased
- general feeling that the standard of living had decreased under labour - )nationalisation had had mixed responses
- many believed that labour had gone too far with government interference - )Korean War lead to rearmament
- ) the Labour Party was exhausted
