The purpose of this essay is to introduce the history of the National Health Service (NHS) and how its formation derived from the early 1600s. It will analyse two current political issues that occur within the NHS, the postcode lottery and the reformation of the NHS, examining the positive and negative effects they have had. It will also discuss implications of regulations within professional practice and how they account for quality of care.
Initially set up in 1601, the Poor Law Act was introduced by the government in an attempt to provide shelter and food for those most in need, in exchange for hard labour, otherwise known as workhouses; “a poorhouse where able-bodied poor are compelled to labor” (Vocabulary.com, 2014). The poor who were unable to work were cared for by a parish. The law offered relief to people who were unable to work, mainly assisting the elderly or helpless. The Poor Law Act created the framework for poor relief in England that was to last until the next act was introduced.
It was not until 1834 that another scheme was established, named the Poor Law Amendment Act with the similar aims and objectives. They established a Poor Law Commission to oversee the national operation of the system and parishes were put into Poor Law Unions so that relief could be provided more easily. In 1905 the Liberal government was voted in, when they began to devise laws which would benefit health care systems. Through 1905-1908 was considered the biggest stage of progression towards forming the National Healthcare System. Although the Royal Commission began to amend the Poor Law Act (1834), further advances and progression was interrupted due to the First World War (1914-1918).
The Beveridge Report (1942) was the main point o...
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NHS Support Federation. (2012). Less fair: postcode lottery. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nhsforsale.info/database/impact-database/less-fair/Less-fair-subpage.html [Accessed 29 April 2014].
Weng. (2000). Geographic and social factors are related to increased morbidity and mortality rates in diabetic patients. Diabet Med.17(8), pp 612-617.
Vocabulary.com. (2014). Workhouse. [Online]. Available at: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/workhouse [Accessed 30 April 2014].
Equality act (2010) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
In fact, many believed the poor were just worthless idlers who were not even trying to better there own situations, but instead were taking the high roads away from taxes and worries (Document 11). There were many observed instances in which those in poverty, when given the opputinity to better their lives, chose to stay poor and recieve handouts. One such cause comes from William Turner, and English Physican for Lord Earl of Somerset when he recounts how poor folks often begged on the Earl's door but when Turner offered to help health wise, they chose to stay sick and beg (Document 6). Similar to modern day abusers of the American Wellfare system, officals became very angry with idlers who did nothing but feed off the wealth of the working class in the form of alms. They even believed that idlers should be expelled from their communites as they only bring economics down (Document 5). Many also thought that in order received any aid at all a person must be working. Reforms such as the Workhouse Test Act in 1723, though this occured later than the period of discussion, were a result of these opinions. This act, among others, required that people work a set amount of hours before they could receive any aid. Even the famous Cardinal Richelieu of France believed that the idlers were “good-for-nothings” who were restricting those who actually needed help from getting it while they were being lazy and greedy (Document 8). This opinion of certain poor indivudals being lazy and abusing resources remains amoung those in power even today in
Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2 diabetes/adult onset diabetes) is an epidemic in American Indian and Alaska Natives communities.7 AI/AN have the highest morbidity and mortality rates in the United States.7 American Indian/Alaska Native adults are 2.3 more times likely to be diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus than non-Hispanic Whites.7 More importantly, AI/AN adolescent ages 10-14 are 9 times likely to be diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus than non-Hispanic Whites.7 Type 2 diabetes is high blood glucose levels due to lack of insulin and/or inability to use it efficiently.8 Type 2 diabetes usually affects older adults; 8 however, the incident rate is rising quicker amongst AI/AN youth than non-Hispanic Whites.7 This is foreshadowing of earlier serious complications that will be effecting the AI/AN communitie...
16Scientist have found trends in ethnic groups and ages begin to occur in today’s day and age. Type 2 diabetes has been found to be more
In England poor laws were first passed in 1598 and continued in amended forms until the National Health Service (NHS) came into formal existence on the ‘Appointed day’ which was fifth of July 1948. The poor laws were introduced to deal with poverty at a local level. At this time the disadvantaged, sick and elderly were assisted by the church, charities, philanthropists and work houses. During the industrialisation revolution Britain saw immense technological advancements in manufacturing and machinery. There was the rapid creation of towns, people migrated into the cities in search of employment, cities became over-crowded worsening squalor and as a consequence the spreading of infectious diseases became rife. In the latter half of the 1800s political changes meant that governments needed to appeal to voters in order to remain in office. For example, The Representation of the People Act 1867 (Reform Act, 1867) which gave the vote to the working classes meaning that parliamentary seats would no longer be guaranteed by money and social status (Parry, 1996). In order to appeal to voters government would have to address social issues and the failing Poor Law. Reports by philanthropists Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree were of great influence to Liberal Government. Booth surveyed London’s population and documented the social deprivation and poor health of its inhabitants (Booth, 1902-1903). Whilst Rowntree studied poverty in York finding that twenty-eight per cent of c.46,000 people surveyed were found to be in severe poverty and fifty per cent of these people were in paid employment but their wages were not sufficient to afford to meet many of their basic needs (Rowntree, 1901). Prior to the National Health Service medical care ...
Schulz, L.O., Bennette, P.H., Ravussin, E., Kidd, J.R., Kidd, K.K., Esparaza, J., and Valencia, M.E., “Effects of Traditional and Western Environments on Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in Pima Indians in Mexico and the U.S.” Diabetes Care 29.8 (2006): 1866-1871. Google Scholar. Web. 3 May 2014.
McBean, A. M., Li, S., Gilbertson, D. T., & Collins, A. J. (2004). Differences in diabetes prevalence, incidence, and mortality among the elderly of four racial/ethnic groups: whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. Diabetes care, 27(10), 2317-2324.
"A Brief Explanation of the Poor Law in respect of Rural Communities 1601 - 1834." Rossbret Workhouse. N.p.. Web. 27 Feb 2014. .
The other piece of legislation with the most intense resistance was the New Poor Law introduced in 1834. That policy was criticised because of its dire consequences on poor relief and the people identified with Chartism when they all condemned the injustice carried by this act. Politicians were called untrustworthy, since the New Poor Law was accepted without controversy by Members of Parliament, even if it was at odds with the people’s interests. Indeed, the workhouse system led to the separation of families, the humiliation of the poor and their stigmatisation as people who did not embrace the Victorian virtues of self-help praised by the Liberals and did not deserve respectability. The clauses of the Poor Law encouraged infanticide, threatened
Jost, Kenneth. “Diabetes Epidemic: why is this serious disease on the increase?” The CQ Researcher (March 9, 2001): 185-200
Diabetes Melitus Type 2 (T2DM) from the biomedical model and social models of health have important differences. This paper illustrates that the sociological approach to T2DM goes beyond the pathophysiology of the biomedical model and is founded on the premise that social factors impact health. An overview of the biomedical model and discussion of T2DM within this model is followed by a description of the sociological model with a discussion of T2DM within this model. Evidence will support the assertion that using a sociological approach will add to the understanding of the sociological factors contributing to the development of T2DM.
There was a growing sense that the poor did not deserve assistance and so in 1834 the ‘Poor Law Amendment Act’ was introduced. This was designed to make conditions more severe and to even further force self-improvement amongst the poor. ‘The central objective…was to withdraw poor relief from men judged ‘able-bodied’ in Poor Law terminology’. (Thane: 1978: 29) Alternatives such as the work-house were introduced. The notion that you should only ask for help if you desperately needed it as a last resource loomed. The Charity Organisation Society was ‘a body w...
laws were created and set in 1601. The earlier laws divided the poor people into different
think of the poor law as a charity, more of a prison, for people who
middle of paper ... ... Retrieved from EBSCOhost.com. Nazarko, L. (2009). The 'Standard'. Causes and consequences of diabetes.
Charles Dickens shows notable amounts of originality and morality in his novels, making him one of the most renowned novelists of the Victorian Era and immortalizing him through his great novels and short stories. One of the reasons his work has been so popular is because his novels reflect the issues of the Victorian era, such as the great indifference of many Victorians to the plight of the poor. The reformation of the Poor Law 1834 brings even more unavoidable problems to the poor. The Poor Law of 1834 allows the poor to receive public assistance only through established workhouses, causing those in debt to be sent to prison. Unable to pay debts, new levels of poverty are created. Because of personal childhood experiences with debt, poverty, and child labor, Dickens recognizes these issues with a sympathetic yet critical eye. Dickens notices that England's politicians and people of the upper class try to solve the growing problem of poverty through the Poor Laws and what they presume to be charitable causes, but Dickens knows that these things will not be successful; in fact they are often inhumane. Dickens' view of poverty and the abuse of the poor