Consultant Appraisal in the North Middlesex University Trust Hospital - Dissertation Example

Low cost and free clinics began to emerge during the late 1800s. These clinics allowed health care to be more widely available to the general population and seeking medical attention became more widespread. Health care was still sporadic and the quality of service varied extremely from location to location, but its popularity was growing as was society’s reliance on it. World Wars I and II brought the issue of a national health system again to the forefront. Lessons learned during these two wars showed the benefits of organization, logistics, and a centralized control.

Politically, in the years following World War II, the unification of health care became a central issue. The government saw the benefits of administering the evolving healthcare system under one unified body. On July 5, 1948, the National Health Service (NHS) was born. Since its inception, the NHS has been continually changing and adapting to meet ever-increasing challenges in the changing world (NICE, 2005). NHS falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health established in 1974 as per the first national health reorganization.

This reorganization resulted from the rethinking of how national health issues should be addressed and recognized, as well, the need for partnership, innovative solutions, and measurable results. Increased authority was given to first-line health providers in an attempt to streamline processes, identify problem areas and design solutions. During the process, fourteen directorates were eliminated and 3 business groups were instituted - each assigned with the task of addressing specific areas: strategic direction for health and social care; improving the delivery of services; and setting, monitoring and maintaining quality standards.