The history of the NHS
This online book is the new home of NHShistory.net. The book traces the story of the NHS, recounting how it was set up, what happened next, and why. It was written by Geoffrey Rivett, and the resource is now maintained and updated by the Nuffield Trust.
Also see our NHS reform timeline for a history in brief.
The National Health Service began on 5 July 1948. Already the NHS, which Bevan described as “a great and novel undertaking”, is the stuff of history. Few people now working in it had been born when it began. Those with clear memories of the early days grow fewer, and this book is in part a tribute to their work. It is the story of the NHS, how it was set up, what happened next, and why. It aims to give the reader, whether professionally involved in the NHS or not, a chronological framework of the main clinical and organisational events.
Geoffrey Rivett is also the author of the following book, available as a free pdf download:
- The Development of the London Hospital System (1823 to the present day).
Hard copies of Geoffrey Rivett's work are available to order:
- From Cradle to Grave: The history of the NHS – 1948-1987
- From Cradle to Grave: The history of the NHS – 1988 onwards (Updated up to October 2017)
- The Development of the London Hospital System (1823 to the present day) - please note this is the same book as described in the previous box.