This deep dive covers Before the NHS — What Was Wrong? within The NHS for GCSE History. Revise The NHS in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 15 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🧠 Before the NHS — What Was Wrong?
| Problem | Effect |
|---|---|
| Fees | Doctors charged per visit. Poor families couldn't afford treatment. |
| Insurance (1911) | Lloyd George's National Insurance only covered working men — not wives, children, unemployed. |
| Charity hospitals | Relied on donations. Often overcrowded, underfunded. |
| Patchwork system | No national planning. Some areas had good hospitals, others none. |
Practice questions for The NHS
On what date was the National Health Service (NHS) officially launched?
Which document published in 1942 identified 'Five Giants' including Disease and laid the foundations for the NHS?
Quick recall flashcards
When was the NHS launched?
5 July 1948
What was the Beveridge Report (1942)?
A wartime government report by William Beveridge recommending a welfare state to fight the Five Giants: Want, Ignorance, Disease, Squalor, Idleness