In two years, the NHS will mark its 70th anniversary. Although one of Britain’s most celebrated institutions, it has also been one of the countries most debated and contested institutions. In this talk, Professor Anna Pollert, chairperson for South Warwickshire Keep Our NHS Public campaign, and Dr Roberta Bivins, principal investigator for the Wellcome Trust-funded project ‘The Cultural History of the NHS’, will discuss the cultural significance and politics of the NHS to British identity and society historically and today.
This talk will be accompanied by an interactive exhibition on ‘The Politics of Health Care in Britain’. Based in part on the MRC’s new digital collection, this hands-on archival exhibition will showcase documents related to British healthcare before the foundation of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948 and the period immediate after. In particular, this exhibition will focus on the debate over how the health of the nation should be managed, the campaign for a state-run health service, and the contentions following its implementation.
This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited so please book in advance here.
