Publicly funded healthcare is a form of health care financing designed to meet the cost of all or most healthcare needs from a publicly managed fund. Usually this is under some form of democratic accountability , the right of access to which are set down in rules applying to the whole population contributing to the fund or receiving benefits from it.
81-781: NHS Scotland , sometimes styled NHSScotland , is the publicly–funded healthcare system in Scotland and one of the four systems that make up the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. It operates 14 territorial NHS boards across Scotland, supported by seven special non-geographic health boards, and Public Health Scotland . At the founding of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, three separate institutions were created in Scotland, England and Wales and Northern Ireland . The NHS in Scotland
162-529: A private finance initiative scheme: Prescription charges were abolished in Scotland in 2011. Alex Neil defended the abolition in 2017 saying that restoring the charge would be a false economy , "Given that it costs on average £4,500 per week to keep patients in an acute hospital in Scotland, it's actually cheaper to keep them at home and give them the drugs to prevent them going into hospital." The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 introduced GP fundholding for certain elective procedures on
243-559: A committee to consider the Report and to set out the government's line. In the Commons debate the government announced they would not implement the Report immediately. The Tory Reform Committee , consisting of 45 Conservative MPs, demanded the founding of a Ministry of Social Security immediately. At the division at the end of the debate, 97 Labour MPs, 11 Independents, 9 Liberals , 3 Independent Labour Party MPs and 1 Communist voted against
324-423: A comprehensive medical record, usually affording some continuity of care. There is no option to self-refer to specialists in Scotland unlike many European countries. GP surgeries consist of partner GPs who are responsible for running the practice, and may include GPs employed by the practice and paid a salary, but who do not have any responsibility in running the surgery. In some instances, GPs are directly employed by
405-507: A cost-efficient and cost-effective manner (microeconomic efficiency). A range of measures, such as better payment methods, have improved the microeconomic incentives facing providers. However, introducing improved incentives through a more competitive environment among providers and insurers has proved difficult. A 2009 Harvard study published in the American Journal of Public Health found more than 44,800 excess deaths annually in
486-448: A deficiency in the panel system , which required workers who earned less than £160 per year to pay 4d per week. Fourpence per week was beyond the means of most crofters at the time, who were subsistence farmers but often provided many troops for British armed forces. Average crofting families' income in some areas could be as low as £26 per annum (10/- or 120d per week) or even lower. The additional challenges of delivering medical care in
567-859: A detailed plan for the future of health provision based on the Cathcart report. Following the publication of the Beveridge Report in 1942, the UK Government responded with a white paper , A National Health Service ( Cmd. 6502) in 1944 led by the Conservative MP and Minister for Health Henry Willink . In its introduction, the white paper laid out the Government's intention to have the new health service operate in Scotland-- The UK Parliament passed
648-556: A fee more amenities are provided. Patients using these beds are in an NHS hospital for surgical treatment, and operations are generally carried out in the same operating theatres as NHS work and by the same personnel but the hospital and the physician receive funding from an insurance company or the patient. These amenity beds do not exist in all publicly funded systems, such as in Spain. The NHS also pays for private hospitals to take on surgical cases under contract. Many countries are seeking
729-574: A government social security system (as in Australia , France , Belgium , Japan and Germany ) with a separate budget and hypothecated taxes or contributions. The proportion of the cost of care covered also differs: in Canada, all hospital care is paid for by the government, while in Japan, patients must pay 10 to 30% of the cost of a hospital stay. Services provided by public systems vary. For example,
810-457: A national milk scheme was launched, which provided a pint of milk at about half price for all children under the age of five, and for expectant or nursing mothers. The take-up rate was such that, by 1944, 95% of those eligible had participated in the scheme. The government's general food policy that priority groups like young children and mothers were not just entitled to essentials like milk, but actually received supplies as well. Evacuation during
891-529: A new national Centre for Sustainable Delivery was established to bring together national programmes for scheduled and unscheduled care, waiting times and best practice – and ensure health boards are implementing them. There are 14 health boards (HBs) which are the upper tier of the Scottish health care system, reporting directly to the Scottish Government. They were created in 1974 as a result of
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#1732772842824972-518: A not-for-profit trust that pays out for healthcare according to common rules established by the members or by some other democratic form. In some countries, the fund is controlled directly by the government or by an agency of the government for the benefit of the entire population. That distinguishes it from other forms of private medical insurance , the rights of access to which are subject to contractual obligations between an insured person (or their sponsor) and an insurance company , which seeks to make
1053-539: A plan for improving oral health and modernising dental practices was put into place, known as 'Childsmile', which provides preventive care such as proper brushing technique, tooth varnish and dietary advice. This has resulted in 60% of children in Scotland having no obvious signs of tooth decay. An incentive programme for GPs was established in 2004, known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) were introduced in order to reward and incentivize good practice and provided
1134-580: A practical character" which would be put to the electorate after the war and implemented by a new government. These measures were "national compulsory insurance for all classes for all purposes from the cradle to the grave"; the abolition of unemployment by government policies which would "exercise a balancing influence upon development which can be turned on or off as circumstances require"; "a broadening field for State ownership and enterprise"; new housing; major reforms to education; and largely expanded health and welfare services. Churchill's commitment to creating
1215-421: A prescription at very low prices in most chemists and supermarkets. Most optometrists in Scotland also provide NHS services, and provide eye examinations , which includes retinal health checks and other eye screening services in addition to sight tests. Entitlements are mainly for corrective lenses and a predetermined set of frames - which were once known as 'NHS glasses' which attracted some social stigma until
1296-432: A profit by managing the flow of funds between funders and providers of health care services. When taxation is the primary means of financing health care and sometimes with compulsory insurance, all eligible people receive the same level of cover regardless of their financial circumstances or risk factors. Most developed countries have partially or fully publicly funded health systems. Most western industrial countries have
1377-629: A publicly funded healthcare system also has a parallel private system for patients who hold private medical insurance or themselves pay for treatment. In those states, those able to pay have access to treatment and comforts that may not be available to those dependent upon the state system. From the inception of the NHS model (1948), public hospitals in the United Kingdom have included "amenity beds" which would typically be siderooms fitted more comfortably, and private wards in some hospitals where for
1458-538: A system of social insurance based on the principle of social solidarity that covers eligible people from bearing the direct burden of most health care expenditure, funded by taxation during their working life. Among countries with significant public funding of healthcare there are many different approaches to the funding and provision of medical services. Systems may be funded from general government revenues (as in Canada , United Kingdom , Brazil and India ) or through
1539-465: A ten-digit number known as the CHI Number . These are used to uniquely identify individuals, avoiding problems such as where health records of people with similar birth dates and names may be confused, or where ambiguously spelled or abbreviated names may lead to one patient having several different health records. In addition, CHI numbers are quoted in all clinical correspondence to ensure that there
1620-441: A voluntary basis. Fundholding gave GPs significant influence over Trusts' decision making as a significant source of funding. GP Fundholding was subsequently abolished with the function transferring to Primary Care Trusts in 1998. In 2001, NHS 24 , was established to provide advice and triage services for patients outside of the 'core hours' of 08:00–18:30 on any working day. They can also advise of pharmacy opening hours. In 2002,
1701-622: A way for GP surgeries to increase their income. This was abolished in Scotland in 2015 as QOF compliance was a significant administrative burden for GPs. The Scottish Government and the British Medical Association agreed the 2018 Scottish General Medical Services Contract that came in to force 1 April 2018. In 2008, the Scottish Government introduced the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, which aimed to reduced iatrogenic illness by changing
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#17327728428241782-449: A way that might improve public representation. This plan was abandoned in 2013 after trials in Fife and Dumfries and Galloway resulted in low voter turnout . Local health boards are supported by seven national special health boards providing national services, some of which have further publicised subdivisions, including: The seven boards are supported by Public Health Scotland , which
1863-676: A welfare state was limited: he and the Conservative Party opposed much of the implementation of the Beveridge Report, including voting against the founding of the NHS. The Labour Party won the 1945 general election on a platform that promised to address Beveridge's five Giant Evils. The report's recommendations were implemented through a series of Acts of Parliament (namely the National Insurance Act 1946 ,
1944-580: Is a government report, published in November 1942, influential in the founding of the welfare state in the United Kingdom . It was drafted by the Liberal economist William Beveridge – with research and publicity by his wife, mathematician Janet Philip – who proposed widespread reforms to the system of social welfare to address what he identified as "five giants on the road of reconstruction": "Want… Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness". Published in
2025-458: Is a substantial effort to develop a drone delivery service. The University of Strathclyde , NHS Grampian , NATS Holdings , AGS Airports and other partners form a consortium, Care and Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland known as 'CAELUS' which has designed drone landing stations for NHS sites across Scotland and developed a virtual model of the proposed delivery network. It is testing whether drones will improve logistics services, including
2106-520: Is an estimate that helps to take account of full and part-time work patterns. Scotland's healthcare workforce includes: Prior to the creation of NHS in Scotland in 1948, the state was involved with the provision of healthcare, though it was not universal. Half of Scotland's landmass was already covered by the Highlands and Islands Medical Service , a state-funded health system run directly from Edinburgh, which had been set up 35 years earlier to address
2187-582: Is no uncertainty over the patient in question. A similar system of NHS reference numbers has since been instituted by NHS England and Wales. In 2000, the NHS boards were starting to help out researchers with their studies. The Scottish Dental Practice Board , for example, was helping out a study which looked at the significance of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. The SDPB shared 128 subjects with these researchers for analysis. The SNP led Scottish Government, elected in May 2007, made it clear that it opposed
2268-513: Is not necessarily a public administration, and its budget may be isolated from the main state budget. Some systems do not provide universal healthcare or restrict coverage to public health facilities. Some countries, such as Germany, have multiple public insurance organizations linked by a common legal framework. Some, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland , allow private for-profit insurers to participate. Almost every major country that has
2349-663: Is responsible for public health, including national health protection, and health education from April 2020) NHS Health Scotland , Health Protection Scotland and Information Services Division were succeeded by Public Health Scotland in April 2020. This new agency is a collaborative approach by both the Scottish Government and COSLA as a result of the Public Health Reform Programme. The NHS in Scotland does have some services provided by
2430-556: The British Medical Association , attacked the decision to release weekly reports on the Accident and Emergency 4-hour wait target in June 2015. In June 2015, 92.2% of patients were admitted or discharged within 4 hours against a target of 95%. He said, "The publication of these weekly statistics completely misses the point and diverts attention from the real issues in our health service." Publicly-funded health care The fund may be
2511-802: The General Dental Council , optometrists by the General Optical Council , pharmacists by the General Pharmaceutical Council , and allied health professionals by the Health and Care Professions Council . Inspection of premises is undertaken by Healthcare Environment Inspectorate and the Care Inspectorate . There are separate institutions, independent of government such as Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland ,
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2592-676: The Home Office , Ministry of Labour and National Service , Ministry of Pensions , Government Actuary , Ministry of Health , HM Treasury , Reconstruction Secretariat , Board of Customs and Excise , Assistance Board , Department of Health for Scotland , Registry of Friendly Societies and Office of the Industrial Assurance Commissioner . The report was printed by Alabaster Passmore & Sons Limited which kept their factory in Maidstone busy when there
2673-635: The Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London. These trusts also treat patients from healthcare systems outside the UK. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent statutory body which protects people with a psychological disorder who are not able to look after their own interests. It is funded through the Scottish Government Health & Social Care Directorate, and follows
2754-632: The National Assistance Act 1948 , and the National Health Service Act 1946 ) which founded the modern British welfare state. Labour deviated from Beveridge in the state's role: their leaders opposed Beveridge's idea of a National Health Service run through local health centres and regional hospital administrations, preferring a state-run body. Beveridge complained about this: "For Ernest Bevin , with his trade-union background of unskilled workers... social insurance
2835-427: The National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947 , which came into effect on 5 July 1948. This foundational legislation has since been superseded. This Act provided a uniform national structure for services which had previously been provided by a combination of the Highlands and Islands Medical Service , local government, charities and private organisations which in general was only free for emergency use. The new system
2916-622: The National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1972 and are based on groups of the local government districts that existed between 1975 and 1996. There were initially 15 HBs in 1974 but the Argyll and Clyde HB was abolished and its area absorbed into the Highland and Greater Glasgow HBs on 1 April 2006, with the latter renamed to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The part of the NHS Argyll and Clyde area which transferred to NHS Highland corresponds to
2997-588: The National Waiting Times centre to address waiting lists and limit use of the private sector. To have access to NHS services, patients should register with a General Practice . Most often this will be an independent contractor who has agreed to provide general medical services to patients, funded on a capitation basis, with weighting given for the age distribution, poverty, and rurality. Various services are provided free of charge by General Practitioners (GPs), who are responsible for maintaining
3078-755: The Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation produced a report comparing the performance of the NHS in the four countries of the UK since devolution in 1999. They included data for the North East of England as an area more similar to the devolved areas than the rest of England. They found that there was little evidence that any one country was moving ahead of the others consistently across the available indicators of performance. There had been improvements in all four countries in life expectancy and in rates of mortality amenable to health care. Despite
3159-578: The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh , the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh , and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow which are distinct from their counterparts elsewhere in the United Kingdom which support professionals in Scotland. Other subdivisions of the Scottish NHS include: During the COVID-19 pandemic , NHS Scotland established Test and Protect as
3240-527: The Scottish Parliament . It is currently administered through the Health and Social Care Directorates of the Scottish Government . The current Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is Neil Gray , and the head of staff is the director-general health and social care and chief executive of NHS Scotland, Caroline Lamb. NHS Scotland had an operating budget of £ 15.3 billion in 2020/21. Health and social care are devolved issues in
3321-559: The Argyll and Bute council area. According to Public Health Scotland data, the 2019 population sizes of the regional health boards were estimated to be: In January 2008, the Scottish Government announced plans for legislation to bring in direct elections as a way to select people for non-executive positions on health boards. The Health Committee of the Scottish Parliament had supported plans for directly elected members as
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3402-620: The Belgian government pays the bulk of the fees for dental and eye care, while the Australian government covers eye care but not dental care. Publicly funded medicine may be administered and provided by the government, as in the Nordic countries , Portugal , Spain , and Italy ; in some systems, though, medicine is publicly funded but most hospital providers are private entities, as in Canada. The organization providing public health insurance
3483-568: The Cabinet, there was debate, instigated by Brendan Bracken , on 16 November 1942 over whether to publish the Report as a White paper at that time. The Chancellor of the Exchequer , Sir Kingsley Wood , said that it involved "an impracticable financial commitment" and that publication should therefore be postponed. However, the Cabinet decided on 26 November to publish it on 2 December. The Ministry of Information Home Intelligence found that
3564-506: The Labour MP and Minister without Portfolio , announced the creation of an inter-departmental committee which would carry out a survey of Britain's social insurance and allied services: To undertake, with special reference to the inter-relation of the schemes, a survey of the existing national schemes of social insurance and allied services, including workmen's compensation, and to make recommendations. Its members were civil servants from
3645-491: The NHS in England – such as NHS Business Services Authority , which processes the payment of dental, optical and pharmacy vouchers and negotiates with pharmaceutical suppliers to negotiate prices per-item down. The costs for the medicines consumed is borne by the health board that patient's GP surgery is based in. Some very complex, low volume, highly-specialist hospital services are also provided by NHS trusts in England, such as
3726-490: The NHS treatment and pays for the composite restoration as temporary private patient, but remains an NHS patient for future checkups. Community pharmacies in Scotland also provide prescribed medicines free of charge, where the patient is registered with a GP Surgery based in Scotland, and where the appropriate prescription-voucher is given. Like GPs, they are private providers who deliver NHS services under contract. Pharmacists are increasingly delivering services which were once
3807-467: The Report had been "welcomed with almost universal approval by people of all shades of opinion and by all sections of the community" and seen as "the first real attempt to put into practice the talk about a new world". In a sample poll taken in the fortnight after the Report's publication, the British Institute of Public Opinion found that 95% of the public had heard of the Report and that there
3888-699: The Scottish Parliament Acted to introduce free personal care for patients aged over 65 in Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002. The Scottish Parliament abolished Primary Care Trusts in the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004, which abolished the internal market in Scotland and replaced NHS Trusts with 15 territorial health boards. In 2004, GPs were no longer required to provide out of hours services unless they opted into doing so. In 2005,
3969-474: The United Kingdom and the separate public healthcare bodies of Scotland, England and Wales are each commonly referred to as " National Health Service ". The NHS in Scotland was created as an administratively separate organisation in 1948 under the ministerial oversight of the Scottish Office , before being politically devolved in 1999. This separation of powers and financing is not always apparent to
4050-501: The United States because of Americans' lacking health insurance, equivalent to one excess death every 12 min. More broadly, the total number of people in the United States, whether insured or uninsured, who die because of lack of medical care was estimated in a 1997 analysis to be nearly 100,000 per year. Beveridge Report The Beveridge Report , officially entitled Social Insurance and Allied Services ( Cmd. 6404) ,
4131-486: The course of the war also revealed, to more prosperous Britons, the extent of deprivation in society. Historian Derek Fraser noted that evacuation became "the most important subject in the social history of the war because it revealed, to the whole people, the black spots in its social life." An Emergency Hospital Service was introduced, which provided free treatment to casualties (a definition which included war evacuees), while rationing led to significant improvements in
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#17327728428244212-466: The diets of poor families. As noted by Richard Titmuss , The families in that third of the population of Britain who, in 1938, were chronically undernourished, had their first adequate diet in 1940 and 1941…[after which] the incidence of deficiency diseases, and notably infant mortality, dropped dramatically. The Labour Party eventually also adopted the Beveridge proposals, and after their victory in
4293-427: The general public due to the co-ordination and co-operation where cross-border emergency care is involved. Approximately 160,000 staff work across 14 regional NHS Boards, seven Special NHS Boards and one public health body, More than 12,000 of these healthcare staff are engaged under independent contractor arrangements. Descriptions of staff numbers can be expressed as headcount and by Whole-Time Equivalent (WTE) which
4374-528: The government's attitude to the Report; 47% were dissatisfied; 24% "didn't know". Winston Churchill gave a broadcast on 21 March 1943 entitled "After the War", where he warned the public not to impose "great new expenditure on the State without any relation to the circumstances which might prevail at the time" and said there would be "a four-year plan" of post-war reconstruction "to cover five or six large measures of
4455-399: The government. A Ministry of Information Home Intelligence report found that after the debate the left-wing section of the public were disappointed but that "an approving minority" thought that the government was correct to wait until the post-war financial situation was known before making a decision. An opinion poll by the British Institute of Public Opinion found that 29% were satisfied with
4536-421: The hotly contested policy differences between the four countries there was little evidence, where there was comparable data, of any significant differences in outcomes. The authors also complained about the increasingly limited set of comparable data on the four health systems of the UK. In 2014–2015 more than 7,500 NHS patients were treated in private hospitals to meet waiting times targets. Dr. Peter Bennie, of
4617-467: The local health board, such as in parts of the Highlands and Islands. The NHS in Scotland also covers dentistry for patients who have registered with a dentist who has agreed to provide services to NHS patients. Most dentists in Scotland have a mixture of NHS patients and private patients . Check-ups are free, however dentists charge patients a regulated fee. Patients in Scotland must pay up to 80% of
4698-411: The management of NHS boards. Local authority nominees were added to board membership to improve co-ordination of health and social care . The remaining 16 Trusts were dissolved from 1 April 2004. Hospitals are now managed by the acute division of the NHS board. Primary care services such as GPs and pharmacies would continue to be contracted through the NHS board, but from 2004 were considered part of
4779-645: The midst of World War II , the report promised rewards for everyone's sacrifices. Overwhelmingly popular with the public, it formed the basis for the post-war reforms known as the welfare state, which include the expansion of National Insurance and the creation of the National Health Service . In 1940, during the Second World War , the Labour Party entered into a coalition with the Conservative Party . On 10 June 1941 Arthur Greenwood ,
4860-538: The national contact tracing service to minimise the spread of the virus within Scotland. The Central Register keeps records of patients resident in Scotland who have been registered with any of the health systems of the United Kingdom. It is maintained by the Registrar General . Its purposes include keeping GPs' patient lists up to date, the control of new NHS numbers issued in Scotland and assisting with medical research. Scottish patients are identified using
4941-675: The range of frames was extended. Hospital services are delivered directly by the National Health Service in Scotland. Since devolution, Scottish healthcare policy has been to move away from market-based solutions and towards direct delivery, rather than using the private or voluntary sectors. Proposals for the establishment of fifteen NHS boards were announced by the Scottish Executive Health Department in December 2000. Further details about
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#17327728428245022-465: The remit of Community Health Partnerships (CHPs), structures based largely on local authority boundaries and including local authority membership of their boards. By April 2014, there were new joint working arrangements in place between the NHS boards and local authorities came into effect that also included responsibility for social care. Their new organisations, which took over from CHPs are called Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs). In 2021
5103-449: The responsibilities of GPs, such as flu vaccinations as well as offering advice on skin problems, gastrointestinal problems and other minor illnesses. Pharmacies in Scotland are frequently located inside Chemists' shops and supermarkets. While there are no prescription charges in Scotland, prescription-vouchers are not ordinarily given in Scotland for certain medicines - such as acetominophen and ibuprofen - as these are available without
5184-399: The right balance of public and private insurance, public subsidies, and out-of-pocket payments. Many OECD countries have implemented reforms to achieve policy goals of ensuring access to health care, improving the quality of health care and health outcomes, allocating an appropriate level of public sector other resources to healthcare but at the same time ensuring that services are provided in
5265-413: The role and function of the unified NHS health boards were provided in May 2001. From 1 October 2001 each geographical health board area had a single NHS board that was responsible for improving health and health services across their local area, replacing the previous decision-making structures of 43 separate boards and trusts. In April 2004, Scotland's health care system became an integrated service under
5346-503: The safety culture to be more in line with the aviation industry, by providing clinicians with skills in improvement methodology and root cause analysis. In 2022 an extra £82.6 million was announced to bolster pharmacy support for repeat prescriptions and medication reviews in GP practices. The same year, NHS Scotland recruited 191 nurses from overseas. The nurses were recruited from several countries, including India and Philippines. A plan
5427-547: The same financial framework as the NHS in Scotland. The Scottish Health Council took over from local Health Councils on 31 March 2005. Regulation of most medical practitioners is a reserved matter, with doctors regulated by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, nurses by the Nursing and Midwifery Council , dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental technicians and dental nurses by
5508-776: The sparsely populated highlands and islands with poor infrastructure were also funded by the Highlands and Islands Medical Service. During the Second World War, the Emergency Hospital Service (Scotland) built many hospitals intended to treat wartime casualties and injuries. These hospitals initially lay idle and so the Scottish Secretary at the time decided to use the hospital capacity to reduce long waiting lists for treatment. Scotland also had its own distinctive medical tradition, centred on its medical schools rather than private practice, and
5589-429: The total cost of the treatment unless they qualify for free treatment or help with costs. Dentists are remunerated through a voucher towards treatment and patients can choose to have more expensive treatments if they are willing and able to do so. This is mostly commonly seen with dental amalgam restorations on molars, which are available on the NHS, whereas composite resin restorations are not. The patient 'opts-out' of
5670-403: The transport of laboratory samples, blood products, chemotherapy and medicines. It is hoped that this will provide equity of care between urban and remote rural communities. At present patients in remote areas may have to travel for hours to reach a hospital able to provide specialised treatment. Skyports , a drone operator, is running flight trials and live flights should start in 2023. In 2014
5751-428: The use of partnerships between the NHS and the private sector. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon voiced opposition to what she termed the "creeping privatisation" of the NHS, and called an end to the use of public money to help the private sector "compete" with the NHS. In September 2008, the Scottish Government announced that parking charges at hospitals were to be abolished except 3 where the car parks were managed under
5832-726: The way for the postwar UK Welfare State. Infant, child, and maternity services were expanded, while the Official Food Policy Committee (chaired by the deputy PM and Labour leader Clement Attlee ) approved grants of fuel and subsidised milk to mothers and to children under the age of five in June 1940. A month later, the Board of Education decided that free school meals should become more widely available. By February 1945, 73% of children received milk in school, compared with 50% in July 1940. Free vaccination against diphtheria
5913-524: Was "great interest in it", but there was criticism that old age pensions were not high enough. They also found that "there was overwhelming agreement that the plan should be put into effect". The Times called the Report "a momentous document which should and must exercise a profound and immediate influence on the direction of social change in Britain", while The Manchester Guardian described it as "a big and fine thing". The Daily Telegraph said it
5994-583: Was a consummation of the revolution begun by David Lloyd George in 1911. The Archbishop of Canterbury , William Temple , said it was "the first time anyone had set out to embody the whole spirit of the Christian ethic in an Act of Parliament". A Parliamentary debate on the Report was planned for February 1943: the Cabinet appointed the Lord President of the Council , Sir John Anderson , to chair
6075-529: Was accountable to the Secretary of State for Scotland rather than the Secretary of State for Health as in England and Wales. Prior to 1948, a publicly funded healthcare system, the Highlands and Islands Medical Service , had been established in Scotland in 1913, recognising the geographical and demographic challenges of delivering healthcare in that region. Following Scottish devolution in 1999, health and social care policy and funding became devolved to
6156-769: Was also provided for children at school. In addition, the Town and Country Planning Act 1944 gave consideration to those areas damaged in bombing raids and enabled local authorities to clear slums, while the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act passed that same year made £150 million available for the construction of temporary dwellings. To improve conditions for the elderly, supplementary pensions were introduced in 1940. In 1943, there were further improvements in rates and conditions for those in receipt of supplementary pensions and unemployment assistance. Food prices were stabilised in December 1939, initially as temporary measure, but this
6237-639: Was funded from central taxation and did not generally involve a charge at the time of use for services concerned with existing medical conditions or vaccinations carried out as a matter of general public health requirements; prescription charges were a later introduction in 1951. Current provision of healthcare is the responsibility of 14 geographically based local NHS boards, seven national special health boards, supported by Public Health Scotland , plus many small contractors for primary care services. Hospitals, district nursing services and healthcare planning are managed by health boards. Government policy has been to use
6318-594: Was less important than bargaining about wages." Bevin derided the Beveridge Report as a "Social Ambulance Scheme" and followed the Coalition Government's view that it should not be implemented until the end of the war (he was furious in February 1943 when a large number of Labour back-benchers ignored their leaders and voted against delay in implementing Beveridge). The war years saw great improvements in working conditions and welfare provisions, which paved
6399-563: Was made permanent in August 1940, while both milk and meals were provided at subsidised prices, or free in those cases of real need. In July 1940, increased Treasury grants led to an improvement in the supply of milk and meals in schools. The number of meals taken doubled within a year, and take-up of school milk increased by 50%. By 1945, roughly 33% of all children ate at school compared with just 3.3% (one in thirty) in 1940, while those taking milk increased from about 50% to roughly 75%. In 1940,
6480-483: Was made to hire another 203 foreign nurses through recruitment agencies. A contract was awarded to Inhealthcare for remote monitoring services across Scotland. This will enable patients to record relevant information at home and relay the readings to NHS teams for analysis using a mobile app or landline telephone. It will be used to manage hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, depression, malnutrition, cancer and COVID. There
6561-407: Was very little other printing work available. The Report offered three guiding principles to its recommendations: Beveridge was opposed to "means-tested" benefits. His proposal was for a flat rate universal contribution in exchange for a flat rate universal benefit. Means-testing was intended to play a tiny part because it created high marginal tax rates for the poor (the " poverty trap "). Inside
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