ABSTRACT
Health was one of many social reforms that were conceived during the Second World War when there was a lot of thought about the sort of society Britain should have once Hitler had been removed. Hospitals were mainly used by the poor, and there were major financial barriers to healthcare for many people. Psychiatric patients have been provided with specialist institutions in the UK for many hundreds of years. In the UK most doctors work in teams with other doctors and other healthcare professionals. Within hospitals, doctors work in multi-professional teams that include medical staff, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, other healthcare workers and technicians. Teaching hospitals are usually the main hospitals in university towns and cities. The university employs consultants and other senior medical staff, who hold ‘honorary’ contracts with the National Health Service trust. Teaching hospitals care for patients with complex or rare conditions. Many are centres of excellence for particular conditions, for example in oncology or cardiology.
