Healthcare became a national service free at the point of use.
The National Health Service Act 1946 helped create the NHS, launched in 1948. Healthcare became a national public service free at the point of use.
This matters for disability history because healthcare access, treatment, rehabilitation, diagnosis and support became part of a universal system rather than depending only on money or charity.
Awareverse values universal access, while also recognising that universal systems can still fail disabled and neurodivergent people if they are not accessible in practice.
A common mistake is assuming free at the point of use means equally accessible to all.
Who had power here, who was left outside, and what would have changed if the human being was seen first?
These deep dives open out from this part of the timeline.