Going private

In 1948, Clement Atlee's Labour Government turned healthcare in the UK on its head. The establishment of the National Health Service (NHS) was a landmark in the creation of the Welfare State - providing care from cradle to grave. The NHS was intended to provide a comprehensive package of care delivered in state-owned hospitals by doctors whose salaries were paid by the Government. Since then, the NHS has provided most of the healthcare for most of the people in the UK. With around one million people treated every 36 hours and a budget approaching £90bn, the NHS is one of the largest emplo...