Reflecting on 75 years of the NHS

2023 marks 75 years since the birth of the NHS, the National Assistance Act that laid the foundations of the current social care system, and the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks. During this anniversary period, we’ll be reflecting on how far the NHS has come, the challenges it faces today and what the future holds for the health service.

The National Health Service began on the 5 July 1948, born out of the recommendations of the Beveridge report of 1942. In 1945, the newly formed Labour government tasked Aneurin Bevan with creating a universal health system. After years of planning, campaigning and patching together varied regional health care provisions, Bevan’s model was put into action. Being free at the point of use, available to all and financed by taxation, the NHS was the first of its kind.

The NHS has evolved over the years as it strives to meet the needs of a growing population with ever-changing needs. And it has faced many challenges. Now – in the aftermath of a global pandemic, and in the midst of economic and workforce crisis – these challenges have, arguably, never been greater.