National_Health_Service_(Amendment)_Act_1949

National Health Service (Amendment) Act 1949

National Health Service (Amendment) Act 1949

United Kingdom legislation

The National Health Service (Amendment) Act 1949 (12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6. c. 93) is an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act safeguarded the independence of GPs, who were allowed to treat private patients.[1] It also proposed prescription charges of not more than 1s. for every National Health Service prescription.[2] However, due to the intense opposition aroused by this proposal, the charges were not implemented till 1952.[3]

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The Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, announced on 24 October 1949: "There has been some excessive and unnecessary resort to doctors for prescriptions. This must be checked. A charge not exceeding one shilling, for each prescription will now be imposed. Arrangements will be made to relieve old age pensioners of this charge".[4] The Minister of Health, Aneurin Bevan, told students at University College, London on 15 November: "Now that we have got the National Health Service based on free prescriptions, I shudder to think of the ceaseless cascade of medicine which is pouring down British throats at the present time. I wish I could believe that its efficacy was equal to the credulity with which it is being swallowed".[5]

Notes

  1. [1]
    Policy and inauguration, The National Archives, retrieved 13 June 2019.
  2. [2]
    'Proposed Changes in Health Service', The Times (11 November 1949), p.4.
  3. [3]
    'A Well Received Budget', The Times (11 April 1951), p. 6.
  4. [4]
    'Mr. Attlee's Broadcast', The Times (25 October 1949), p. 2.
  5. [5]
    '"Cascade" of Free Medicine', The Times (16 November 1949), p. 4.
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