NHS cuts: going under the knife

When the NHS was introduced in 1948, hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians and dentists were all brought together under one healthcare umbrella. For the first time, services were provided which were free for all at the point of delivery. Initially it was feared that offering free medical services would render health cash plans largely irrelevant and it did indeed lead to a fall in income for some contributory schemes, with some ceasing to operate. But while some policyholders withdrew their membership, thousands of others were unsure that all the required and desirable he...