Before NHS

[netibiza]

What health system was used before the NHS was introduced. I was born before that time and in hospital but forgot to ask my, now dead, mother. someone said doctor's vouchers (where one paid in advance) but what about the poor people who couldn't afford a doctor. My mother gave birth to 6 children and always in a Maternity home, or hospital, and we weren't particularly rich. There weren't workhouses then.

[mrs.chappie]

Hello neti, did ya see my recent reply to a question you put on here for me nearly four years ago?

[abendigo]

Arising out from the latter Victorian era, in the 20th up to 1948 -

Medical staff gave their services free, but were amply compensated by private fees.

Nurses and other hospital workers were subjected to long hours and low pay but with no compensation from other sources.

There were lots of 'hospital savings schemes' (contributions were taken from wages) - often compulsorily linked with union membership

names like -
Hospital Savings Association
(at least one such scheme in cities and most towns)
Largely defunct now

the poor out of work were less fortunate, and had to rely on charity and free hospitals

[weeal]

I and my younger sister were delivered by nuns, we found our 'receipts' when dad passed away and I couldnt believe everything was chargeable - bed, food, delivery etc all listed separately and we werent posh, wee bro was delivered in a hospital for 'free' we keep telling him how he was the 'cheap' one lol

[netibiza]

Thank you all for your answers as I've often wondered.

Mrs chappie what q was that?

[mrs.chappie]

Here's a link to it neti.

It's not important, just wanted you to know that I hadn't noticed it!

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Que stion655670.html

[Lil O'lady]

By the 1930's subsidised hospital care was available in the 'public wards' of different hospitals - themselves often private companies or charities. At the same time, the existing workhouse system was modified to provide hospital care which is why so many hospitals even now are former workhouses. This made the introduction of the NHS easier than might otherwise have been the case, as the outline of subsidised hospital beds had already been laid. So you might have been born in one of these wards.

[netibiza]

Yes, I was Lilo'lady, it was Brighton General which was once a workhouse. My dad must have paid privately as he was a self-employed tailor.

[123everton]

I remember reading an account in a book (I think it was called "Voices and Images of the Great War", I'd reccomend it) it told a story of a woman giving birth at home whose husband was away fighting the Germans, there were complications and a doctor was called he refused to attend to the birth until he'd been paid, the family were poor so everyone in the street clubbed together to pay him whilst he stood outside the front door waiting.

[Blackthorn]

It was common in my part of the world to pay the doctor so much a week, in the 1930's my grandfather paid the local doctor one shilling a week and built up credit to draw on when his services were needed. Apparently this was a regular practice, obviously beneficial and convenient to all concerned. Whether this was a scheme local to the area I couldn't say.
It was also common for tenants to pay their landlord a little extra on top of the rent every week to cover arrears during shutdowns, strikes etc. if spare money was available.

[netibiza]

We were lucky in that aspect, my Dad always owned our houses.