Marsland's Essay: The British Experience With Socialized Medicine

In 1948, after years of struggle between different members of society, a man named Aneurin Bevin, the Minister of Health at that time, successfully led the effort to establish the National Health Service in Great Britain. The National Health Service had a single goal of free universal healthcare. This goal was originally put into focus by a man named William Beveridge, which is why worldwide, this approach to healthcare is known as the Beveridge System. In the article “The British Experience with Socialized Medicine,” David Marsland, the Director of Research in Health and Social Care at Brunel University in the UK examines the history of the National Health Service (NHS) in Britain and argues that NHS is undeserving of the somewhat positive reputation that it currently holds. In general, Marsland outlines the various reforms and changes that have been implemented in an effort to improve the NHS over the past century. His thorough analysis of the history of socialized medicine in Britain allows readers to comprehend the consequences …show more content…
This review allows readers to gain a better understanding of the NHS and its history, flaws, and reforms. Since the National Health Service, or NHS in Britain is one of the most well-known healthcare systems following the Beveridge Model, Marsland’s article gives readers an in-depth look into the politics and inter-workings of such a system. He also assists readers in understanding the flaws of the Beveridge Model and the NHS, and generously offers his opinion on how to overcome them. In general, although Marsland’s article may include a lot of his own opinions on the inter-workings of the NHS, it still presents a somewhat clear, but still opinionated and political depiction the Beveridge