5.1.5

Government

Test yourself

Government

The government played a major role in generating progress in public health.

Illustrative background for Government strengthIllustrative background for Government strength ?? "content

Government strength

  • The stronger the government, the better able it was to intervene in health affairs. When the Ancient Roman government was strong, it was able to provide better health services for people.
  • Strong local government also brought health progress. After the Black Death in 1348, local government officials, wore special suits, improved quarantine and got better at disposing of bodies.
  • Conclusion: The stronger a government, the better it was at improving public health.
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Vaccinations

  • The British government gave Edward Jenner £10,000 for his vaccination research in 1802. The government made the smallpox vaccination compulsory in 1853.
  • Conclusion: Governments played a particularly important role in making medicine and vaccinations widely available.
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Opposition

  • Edward Jenner faced opposition to his smallpox vaccine from the Church and the Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League.
  • When the NHS was created after WW2, there was opposition from some doctors and members of the public.
  • Conclusion: Opposition to government action often slowed down the process of health reform.
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Government inaction

  • Sometimes the government did not intervene when it should have done. Taxpayers often did not want to pay more to improve others' health.
  • The government did not always know what to do. This was the case with cholera epidemics in the 1800s.
  • Conclusion: Governments were not always able to bring about progress in health and medicine.
Illustrative background for Legislation (laws)Illustrative background for Legislation (laws) ?? "content

Legislation (laws)

  • Later in the period, the government was able to pass laws to improve public health e.g. Public Health Act 1848.
  • Living conditions improved most when government passed meaningful laws.
  • Conclusion: One of the strongest ways government could act was through legislation (laws).
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Laissez-faire to welfare state

  • Over the course of the period, government became more and more involved in attempts to improve health.
  • Before the late 19th century, the government was 'laissez-faire' (it did not do much directly to improve people's lives).
  • The development of the welfare state in the 20th century was influenced by the reports of Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree.
  • Conclusion: Those outside government were also able to influence public health.

Jump to other topics

1Medicine Stands Still

2The Beginnings of Change

3A Revolution in Medicine

4Modern Medicine

5Themes in Public Health

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