An accessible, concise biography about Aneurin Nye Bevan, the man and politician behind the creation of the UK National Health Service.
The creation of the National Health Service was the most significant of the many reforms of the post-war Labour government in the UK. The man responsible was Aneurin Nye Bevan. The son of a Welsh miner, he became a local trade union leader at only nineteen. In 1929, he was elected as a Labour MP. Bevan believed the war was Britains opportunity to create a new society, a position he maintained throughout the conflict. When the war ended in 1945, the landslide Labour victory gave him the chance to make this vision a reality. Known for his impassioned oratory, Bevans fundamental belief that the new NHS should be freely available to all was ultimately at odds with a government struggling to balance the books. He resigned in 1951 over the introduction of charges for prescriptions and glasses. With the NHS requiring an ever-increasing share of national income, this updated edition considers Bevans legacy as the future of the health service he created is fought over as never before.
