The NHS: A Weapon Against the ‘Competitive Society’?
From Planet 251
by Nye Davies
As the NHS turns seventy-five, Nye Davies gives his perspective on the original transformative vision of Aneurin Bevan. To what extent does the Welsh Government adhere to these principles, and could they be deployed to counter a new crisis of deprivation?
This year marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the NHS, which means that one man’s name will be regularly invoked: Aneurin Bevan. Bevan is admired as the founder of the NHS, while the service is often considered to be a Welsh invention. Bevan’s vision for the NHS was based on the principles of universalism, comprehensiveness and accessibility. He envisioned a system that would provide free healthcare to all citizens, regardless of their income, health or ability to pay.
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Nye Davies is a lecturer in politics at the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University and a member of the Wales Governance Centre. His research focuses on the Labour Party, Welsh politics and the study of ideas. He is the editor of This is My Truth: Aneurin Bevan in Tribune (2023), published by University of Wales Press.
