A steep rise in the prices of foodstuffs and cattle food followed disappointing harvests in many European countries, due to the hard winter and hot dry summer, and in certain crops, notably corn for animal food, in America. Bread had to be rationed for the first time late in 1946 in September 1947, the meat ration was reduced in October the bacon ration was halved and in November potatoes were rationed. So acute was the crisis that restrictions more rigorous than any in the war years became necessary. Immediately after these four months of disastrous weather there followed a period of economic crisis with an ever-increasing dollar crisis. These three months of snow and bitter cold were followed by the heaviest floods for 53 years, which did great damage, killed thousands of sheep and lambs, delayed spring sowing and threatened the prospect of a good harvest which was so urgently needed. Its first three months formed a winter of exceptional severity, which had to be endured by a people who in addition to rationing of food were faced with an unprecedented scarcity of fuel. The eighth year of austerity, 1947, was a testing year. Sir Wilson Jameson described the problems of 1947, the year before the NHS began. It was a tradition going back to the Hippocratic view of its effect on health. Aneurin Bevan 1įor almost a century the government’s Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) had often begun their annual reports with an account of the year’s weather. Let us try to develop that partnership from now on. My job is to give you all the facilities, resources and help I can, and then to leave you alone as professional men and women to use your skill and judgement without hindrance. But the sooner we start, the sooner we can try together to see to these things and to secure the improvements we all want. Nor will there be overnight any miraculous removal of our more serious shortages of nurses and others and of modern replanned buildings and equipment. It has not had an altogether trouble-free gestation! There have been understandable anxieties, inevitable in so great and novel an undertaking. On 5th July we start together, the new National Health Service.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |