A history of British health professionals working for the abolition of nuclear weapons

British doctors, nurses and other health professionals have a long history of opposing the development, testing and use of nuclear weapons. In 1963 medical and dental professionals in the United States and the United Kingdom played an important role in raising the urgency of the health threat posed by atmospheric nuclear tests and bringing about the signing of the Partial Test Ban Treaty. Medical Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons and Medical Association for Prevention of War used the legitimacy given to them by their professional membership to draw the attention of both politicians and the public to the devastating health consequences of nuclear weapons. In 2013 the language of humanitarianism started being used to emphasise the full scale of the devastating medical, social and environmental consequences of nuclear war. Medact in collaboration with International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War affiliates continues to work towards the abolition of nuclear weapons.