Alfie Rankin
The N.H.S turns 70 this week.
On 5 July 1948, the NHS was launched by Aneurin Bevan, at Park Hospital in Manchester. For the first time, hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians and dentists were brought together under one umbrella to provide services for free at the point of delivery.
Seventy years on the N.H.S has transformed the health of the nation. Here are just some of the things that the N.H.S has seen since its creation.
1953 – DNA Structure Revealed
James D Watson and Francis Crick, two Cambridge University scientists, describe the structure of a chemical called deoxyribonucleic acid in Nature magazine.
1954 – Smoking and Cancer Link Established
British scientist Sir Richard Doll begins research into lung cancer after incidences of the disease rise alarmingly. He studies lung cancer patients in 20 London hospitals.
1958 – Polio and Diphtheria Vaccinations Programme Launched
This programme ensures everyone under the age of 15 is vaccinated and will lead to an immediate and dramatic reduction in cases of both diseases.
1959 – Mental Health Act
The Mental Health Act repealed the Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts (1890-1930) and the Mental Deficiency Acts (1913-1938). It made new provision for the treatment and care of people with mental health problems.
1960 - The First UK Kidney Transplant Takes Place at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
1967 – The Abortion Act
1978 – The World's First Baby is Born as a result of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby, is born on July 25 1978. Her parents Lesley and John Brown had failed to conceive because of her mother's blocked fallopian tubes.
1980s – Keyhole Surgery
Keyhole surgery is used for the first time in an operation to remove a gallbladder. The technical name for it is laparoscopic surgery, after the instrument that's used to perform the surgery.
1986 – First AIDS Health Campaign
1991 – First 57 NHS Trusts Established
New NHS trusts will aim to encourage creativity and innovation and challenge the domination of the hospitals within a health service increasingly focused on services in the community.
2002 - First Successful Gene Therapy
2008 - HPV Vaccination Programme
2012 – First Person in the UK to Have a Hand Transplant
A surgical team at Leeds General Infirmary carried out the UK's first hand transplant operation.
2014 – The NHS 111 Telephone Service goes Nationwide
The NHS 111 telephone service was officially launched in February 2014. It was introduced to make it easier for people to access urgent healthcare services when they need medical help fast.