How the Black Death Gave Us the NHS

Description

As the world is gripped by the coronavirus pandemic, all eyes in the UK have been on our NHS heroes. But where did they come from? Why do we have such a unique free at the point of use healthcare system? How has this benefitted British society? And how does healthcare in other countries work? Going back to pre-history, we will take a look at epidemics and pandemics through the ages and how they have consistently nudged healthcare policy toward a more social model. They say a measure of civilized society is how it provides for its citizens, and the NHS has been the backbone of Great Britain for the best part of a century. As well as looking at its origins and counterparts in other countries, we will take a look at how the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled, and what the future of social healthcare might be across the globe. Cover Book Title Copyright Contents Author’s Preface Acknowledgments Part I The Role of Disease in Society Chapter I The Development of Disease – Epidemics, Pandemics, Farming and Globalisation Chapter II The Pariah’s Path; Compassion and Blame in Society for the Sick Chapter III Disease and the Health of Society – Epidemics from Prehistory to Antiquity Part II From the Black Death to the NHS Chapter IV The First Pandemics – Antonine and Justinian Plague Chapter V Black Death – the Birth of Europe, Modern Medicine and Human Rights Chapter VI Written in the Stars – Influenza from 1590 to 1918, and the Foundations of Modern Public Healthcare Plates Chapter VII Free Healthcare at the Point of Use The Birth of the UK NHS Chapter VIII Smallpox and the Greater Good – the Story of Vaccines Part III Post-Welfare State Britain; Modern Disease and the Public Healthcare System Chapter IX The Big, Fat, Epidemic – How Obesity Shapes Public Health Care Chapter X HIV and AIDS – a Pandemic of Fear Chapter XI From SARS to Covid, Pandemics in the Twenty-first Century Chapter XII Beyond the Welfare State – Where does Universal Healthcare go Next? About the Author Notes Bibliography Back cover