To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS, Brits have shared what they consider the top 10 milestones in the institution's history – from the first mass-vaccination programme in 1958, to the Covid-19 vaccine in 2020.
The NHS was first formed on July 5, 1948 – with Brits considering its creation to be the number one breakthrough in its history.
Since then, it has grown into an organisation used by Brits an average of five times a year, according to a poll of 2,000 adults.
Some of the other milestones in NHS history include the world's first baby born through IVF – or “test-tube baby” – in 1978, according to 15 per cent of those polled, while 19 per cent named the launch of the Organ Donor Register, in 1994.
It also emerged that 88 per cent say the NHS makes them feel proud to be British – with 85 per cent considering it one of Britain's finest achievements throughout history.
Medical historian, Dr Nicola Tallis, said: “The NHS forms part of the fabric of our nation, and its impact on the medical history of Britain, in every area of medicine, cannot be overstated.
“There is no question that the NHS is an integral part of our society, whose services most – if not all – of the UK population have relied upon at some point in their lives.
“The fact that it is the biggest employer in Europe also reflects both its scale and its impact – and, coupled with the advances in modern medicine, it continues to save, change, and improve lives.”
The research was commissioned by Archvale, and found that nearly two-thirds of adults (65 per cent) have used the NHS for a GP appointment, while 59 per cent have used prescriptions or pharmacies.
More than a tenth (12 per cent) have been in to have a sprained or twisted ligament looked at, and a further 12 per cent have enjoyed a colonoscopy, according to the OnePoll figures.
And 31 per cent of those, who have used the National Health Service, even know some of their local health service staff by name – with exactly nine in ten saying that even if they don’t use the NHS frequently, they feel better knowing it’s there.
The NHS was also instrumental in the launch of the contraceptive pill in 1962, and changed the lives of millions of Brits with the launch of the Mental Health Act in 1983.
But while 35 per cent believe booking an appointment through the NHS has been easy, 37 per cent report it being difficult.
And just under three in ten (28 per cent) have privately paid for a minor treatment or day surgery, to avoid NHS waiting times.
A spokesman for Archvale said: “There have been countless reams of column inches devoted to the trials and tribulations facing the NHS.
“We wanted to take the nation’s temperature regarding how much they used the service, and found many still hold it dear.
“Although it’s going through a difficult period at the moment, millions still rely on the NHS, and it’s something the nation is rightly very proud of.”
The top 10 biggest NHS breakthroughs:
- 1948 – The formation of the NHS
- 1958 – The first mass-vaccination programme
- 1968 – The UK's first heart transplant
- 2020 – The Covid-19 vaccination programme is rolled out
- 1994 – The Organ Donor Register is established
- 1978 – The birth of the world's first “test-tube baby”, the first baby born through IVF
- 1988 – Free breast screening is introduced
- 1962 – The Hospital Plan for England and Wales, aka the introduction of the modern hospital
- 2008 – Vaccine to prevent cervical cancer is made available for all schoolgirls aged 12
- 2000 – NHS walk-in centres are opened
