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  • Article

The birth of Britain's National Health Service

Starkly unequal access to healthcare gave rise to Nye Bevan’s creation of a truly national health service.

  • Article

The child whose town rejected vaccines

Gloucester, 1896. Ethel Cromwell is taken ill at the height of Britain’s last great smallpox epidemic.

  • Article

Journeying home

A serious health scare was the catalyst to Chris beginning the process of understanding his experiences more clearly, and using that new insight to help other intersex people.

  • Book extract

Why the NHS is worth saving

In this extract from his latest book, ‘Free For All’, Dr Gavin Francis poses challenging questions to be addressed if a health service that’s free for all at the point of use is to remain possible.

All stories (12)

Images

  • Arctium lappa L. Asteraceae. Greater Burdock. Distribution: Europe to India and Japan. Dioscorides (Beck, 2003) writes: '... helps those who spit blood and who suffer from abscesses ... plastered on it stems the pains around the joints that stem from twistings. The Leaves are applied beneficially on old ulcers.' Culpeper (1650) writes: ‘Burdanae, etc. Of Bur, Clot-Bur or Burdock, ... helps such as spit blood and matter, bruised and mixed salt and applied to the place, helpeth the bitings of mad dogs. It expels wind, easeth pains of the teeth, strengthens the back, helps the running of the reins, and the whites in women, being taken inwardly.’ The roots contain inulin, which is made into a non-digestible sweetener for diabetics. It has a multitude of uses in herbal medicine, in particular it is a component of a compound called ‘essiac’ that has been widely used as a treatment of cancers in the USA, but which is of no proven benefit. The young roots can be eaten raw or cooked. The seeds are hairy and care should be taken when harvesting them as inhaled they are reported as ‘toxic’. The root is licensed for use in Traditional Herbal Medicines in the UK (UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • I feel safer using condoms : find out what else you can do to protect yourself from HIV and other STIs... : call African AIDS Helpline, 0800 0967 500 : it's free, confidential, safe to call / produced by Black Health Agency, NAHIP, NHS.
  • Be a man, use a condom : find out what else you can do to protect yourself from HIV and other STIs... : call African AIDS Helpline, 0800 0967 500 : it's free, confidential, safe to call / produced by Black Health Agency, NAHIP, NHS.
  • Delicious food carefully balanced / Compass Group PLC.
  • Delicious food carefully balanced / Compass Group PLC.
  • Healthy eating / Department of Health.
  • Healthy eating / Department of Health.
  • Your rights in the AIDS era. 9, Going into hospital / Immunity.
  • Your rights in the AIDS era. 9, Going into hospital / Immunity.
  • Your rights in the AIDS era. 9, Going into hospital / Immunity.
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Catalogue

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