It took three years to establish the NHS due to doctors and the British Medical Association being initially opposed to the NHS. So it was on July the fifth 1948 that the NHS was born. It was hoped that the trained professionals would provide the care and it would receive adequate funding and the days of rattling the collection tins were over. Those days though did not last long and to the horror of the Health Minister Aneurin Bevan he had to make a plea for volunteers to assist in the care of the sick. This came after Beveridge published another report titled Voluntary Action in which he stated “That voluntary aid would continue to play a role in welfare provision, which it did, although it was a much diminished role” (Beveridge, 1948).
In later years it was with the publication of the Wolfenden Report (1978) which stipulates that ideas of the voluntary sector of institutions through which social needs could be addressed and work along side the public, state, informal and the private sector. “The Wolfenden Committee (1978) sponsored research that maintained that voluntary organisations were cost effective, innovative, flexible and pioneering. Welfare pluralists have argued that voluntary organisations responsive, close to needs, participative and empowering, especially in contrast with local service provider partners” (Hadley and Hutch, 1982).
It is now a necessity for the NHS to employ volunteers due to budget and resources “The cost of the NHS is increasing” (Bevan, 1948). The need now is much greater as our lifestyles and habits are changing. Some voluntary workers within the NHS tend to feel inadequate compared to the trained and qualified colleagues. Many volunteers have abandoned their post because of this very feeling. They also drop out as they don’t know where they actually fit in. This was noted in a study carried out by Abram’s (1986) when researching the neighbourhood care schemes.
Volunteers have mainly role to plat within the NHS, some visit patient some drive the patients to and from the hospital, the WRVS usually run the hospital shop and tearoom and some volunteers help to promote good health. There are also informal carers in the community who help to relieve some of the strain of the NHS by caring for a family member or friend in their own homes. The role of carer mainly falls upon women and in some cases children as more and more parent are being diagnosed with illnesses like multiple sclerosis. Children who are carers may miss out in having an education and are being stripped if the innocence of childhood as they are forced to grow up very quickly and some even have younger sibling to care for. Children who are carers are having a complete role reversal and are becoming the adults. The one group who does seem to be overlooked in situations like those are the elderly. The elderly too can be carers they may have to care for a spouse, parent, sibling or even their own child. In some of these cases the carer themselves needs care due to age related illness.
Now many hospitals have their own charity attached to them which help to raise awareness of the hospitals needs and to help raise money to buy new equipment. If the government would fund the NHS more effectively the need for charities and volunteers would become a thing of the past.
Reference
Atlee, C. (1945) “Modern History Sourcebook: Let us face the Future: A Declaration of Labour Party policy for the Nation, 1945” [online] available from http;//www.forhan.edu/mod/1945labour-letusfacethefuture.html
Bevan, A (1948) “Medicine through time- The National Health Service” [online] available from http;//www.bbc.co.uk/education/medicine/ph/mophes2.shtml
Beveridge, W. (1942) “Medicine through time- William Beveridge (1879-1963)” [online] available from http;//www.bbc.co.uk/education/medicine/nonit/modern/mophi2.shtml
Beveridge, W. (1948) “Medicine through time- William Beveridge (1879-1963)” [online] available from http;//www.bbc.co.uk/education/medicine/nonit/modern/mophi2.shtml
Hadley, R. & Hutch, S. (1982) “Social Welfare and the Failure of the State” London: Allen & Unwin
Stacey, M. (1998) “The Sociology of Health and Healing” London: Unwin
Taylor, J. (1979) “Hidden Labours in the National Health Service, Prospects of the National Health Service” London: Croom Helm
Bibliography
Harris, M. etal (2001) “Voluntary Organisations and Social Policy in Britain” Hampshire: Palgrave
Moore, S. (1993) “Social Welfare Alive” 2nd ed. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes
Stacey, M. (1998) “The Sociology of Health and Healing” London: Unwin
