The National Health System in the United Kingdom: History, present situation and a need for reforms‪?‬

The time of the Industrial Revolution induced significant changes in Britain. Different
segments of the daily life were involved such as economy, society, culture, politics or
environment. Therefore, the following economic expansion was not only an ‘abstract’ one that
affected machines, industries or finances but also people. On the one hand, Britain was
transformed into a powerful nation and center of global trade, for example due to its
resources, manufactur ing inventions or improved fabrication methods. On the other hand, for
many reasons this development was at the expense of the common population. More and more
people came into the cities in order to find work, which was not so easy since new machines
partly replaced human workforces. During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, many
people had to face dehumanizing exploitation and long working hours or unemployment and
poverty. Rapid increase of the population even worsened the situation.
Numerous completely new problems arose that demanded quick and efficient solutions. For
example, people started to live in overcrowded slums under disastrous hygienic
circumstances, the growing cities lacked an effective sewage system and the resulting
epidemics could no t be resisted, let alone prevented by adequate medical services. [...]