Socialist Health Association Promoting Health through Socialism

Aneurin Bevan and the foundation of the NHS

Bevan is the most significant figure in the history of the NHS and deserves a page to himself. He was never, as far as we are aware, a member of the Socialist Medical Association, but clearly got to know some of the leading figures quite well during the agitation around the establishment of the NHS. He is still invoked in argument - see What Bevan would think of Blair.

The text of speeches and memoranda reproduced here where not otherwise indicated is taken with kind permission from Charles Webster's collection "Aneurin Bevan on the National Health Service" published by the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, Oxford 1991.

Aneurin Bevan: An appreciation of his services to the health of the people. Pamphlet published by the Socialist Medical Association about 1960

Aneurin Bevan - Labour's lost leader BBC site with recordings

NHS debate House of Commons 30 July 1958

Local Government Management of the Hospitals, 12 March 1954

In Place of Fear 1952: (Essay on A Free Health Service)

Resignation speech 23 April 1951

Cabinet Discussion 9 April 1951

Bevan's speech to the Institute of Hospital Administrators 5 May 1950

Cabinet discussion 3 April 1950

Bevan's speech on the introduction of the prescription charge 9 December 1949

Nye Bevan, Housing and Harold Hill November 1949

Press Conference 6 October 1949

Bevan's speech on the estimates 17 February 1949

Bevan's speech to the Executive Councils Association 7 October 1948

Bevan's speech to The Society of Medical Officers of Health 16 September 1948

Bevan's speech Preston 5 July 1948

Bevan's speech "lower than vermin" Manchester 4 July 1948

Bevan's speech to the Royal College of Nursing 2 June 1948

Pioneers of Public Health 7 May 1948

Bevan's speech to the House of Commons 9 February 1948

Bevan's speech at East Glamorgan County Hospital 17 January 1948

Bevan's speech to The Society of Medical Officers of Health 20 September 1946

Bevan's speech to the Royal College of Nursing 21 June 1946

Bevan's speech on the Second reading of the NHS Bill 30 April 1946

Bevan's speech to the Institute of Hospital Administrators, 6 April 1946

Correspondence between Dr David Stark Murry and Bevan, February and March 1946 - from the SHA archives, Hull University

Cabinet Memorandum Proposals for a National Health Service 13 December 1945

Cabinet Memorandum The Future of the Hospital Services 5th October 1945

Bevan's speech to the Royal Medico-Psychological Association, 5 September 1945

Brief biography of Bevan

Portraits of Bevan in the National Portrait Gallery

Jennie Lee's papers in the archive of the Open University

1/09/07