NHS History

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Milestones of the NHS

1948

NHS is born, providing healthcare services that are free for all at the point of delivery

1949

Ministries of Health and Labour, with the Colonial Office, the General Nursing Council and the Royal College of Nursing begin a massive recruitment drive throughout the West Indies to recruit staff to the NHS

1953

DNA’s structure is discovered by two Cambridge University scientists James D Watson and Francis Crick, revolutionising the study of disease caused by the defective genes. The discovery included vital work from Rosalind Franklin

1956

Polio immunisation programme begins

1956

The first kidney dialysis is performed by Frank Parsons at Leeds General Infirmary, marking the opening of the first artificial kidney unit in the UK

1957

Whooping cough immunisation programme begins

1958

Polio and diphtheria vaccination programmes ensure that everyone under 15 is vaccinated

1958

The first successful cardiopulmonary by-pass programme in the UK began at the Hammersmith Hospital, London

1960

The first kidney transplant takes place at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, involving identical twins

1960

First implantable heart pacemaker is used

1962

The first full hip replacement is carried out by Professor John Charnley at Wrightington Hospital

1967

The first successful treatment for rhesus disease of the newborn, which causes serious health problems including deafness and blindness

1968

Measles vaccine is introduced

1968

The first heart transplant is carried out by South African-born surgeon Donald Ross at the National Heart Hospital in London

1968

Europe’s first liver transplant performed by Professor Sir Roy Calne at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge

1972

CT scans revolutionise the way doctors examine the body, allowing three-dimensional images to be produced from a large series of two-dimensional X-rays

1973

Number of cases of whooping cough falls to nearly zero due to immunisation programme

1978

The world’s first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, is born as a result of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), developed by Dr Patrick Steptoe

1979

The first successful bone marrow transplant on a child is carried out by Professor Roland Levinsky at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London

1979

UK heart transplant programme began at Papworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire by surgeon Sir Terence English

1980

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans are introduced

1980

Keyhole surgery is used successfully for the first time to carry out the removal of a gall bladder

1983

UK liver transplant programme begins

1983

First combined heart and lung transplant in the UK performed by Prof Sir Magdi Yacoub at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex

1986

Artificial heart programme began at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex

1986

First lung-only transplant in Europe carried out by Prof John Dark at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle

1987

The world’s first heart, lung and liver transplant is carried out by Professor Sir Roy Calne and Professor John Wallwork at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge

1987

Britain’s first ever purpose-built AIDS ward is opened at the Middlesex Hospital by Princess Diana

1987

Britain’s first successful heart transplant baby is operated on at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle

1988

Free breast screening is introduced to reduce breast cancer deaths in women over 50, the first of its kind in the world

1992

Vaccine against Haemophilius influenzae type B (Hib), a cause of childhood meningitis, is introduced to vaccination programme

1992

World’s first laser surgery on babies in the womb to treat potentially fatal twin to twin transfusion syndrome takes place at King’s College Hospital, London

1994

The NHS Organ Donor Register is set up for people wishing to donate their organs

1999

UK becomes first country in the world to use a vaccine against Group C meningococcal disease

2000

NHS walk-in centres are introduced to offer easy access to a range of services

2002

First successful treatment of a child in the UK by gene therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London

2006

NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme launched for those aged 60-69, the first ever screening programme to target both men and women

2007

Introduction of robotic arm leads to ground-breaking heart operations for patients with fast or irregular heartbeats

2007

First living donor in the UK at St James’ Hospital in Leeds when David Lomas, 20, donated part of his liver to his father Stephen, 50, who had advanced liver disease

2007

St James’s Institute of Oncology, the largest cancer centre in Europe, opens in Leeds

2008

Vaccine to prevent cervical cancer (HPV) available for all schoolgirls aged 12

2010

UK’s first cochlear implant operation to provide hearing in both ears

2011

Successful trial of an artificial pancreas

2011

UK’s first Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) operation performed – Beau Britton, seven, from Cornwall is the first child to be funded by a local NHS trust for the neurological procedure

2012

Announcement of DNA mapping for cancer patients and rare diseases (100,000 genomes project)

2012

First UK hand transplant – a surgical team at Leeds General Infirmary carried out the operation

2013

Cancer Drugs Fund is established creating a national list of approved fast-track drugs giving uniform access to treatment across the country

2016

First double hand transplant performed at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

2016

NHS England funded Bionic Eye Surgery

2017

Roll out of mechanical thrombectomy enabling stroke patients in England to receive revolutionary new treatment

2017

NHS England announces world’s largest single PrEP implementation trial to prevent HIV infection

2018

NHS England announces children in England will be the first in the Europe to access CAR-T, marking the beginning of a new era of personalised cancer medicine

2019

NHS England strikes world leading deal to enable everyone with Hepatitis C to receive curative treatment at a cost-effect price which will enable England to eliminate it before 2030

2019

NHS England funds first ever treatment for children with spinal muscular atrophy

2019

NHS England strikes deal for a first-in-a-new-generation of gene therapies which can cure blindness in children

2019

Patients in England living with cystic fibrosis are given access to all three licenced treatments

2020

First known case of COVID-19 reported in the UK – in December, Margaret Keenan becomes the first person in the world to receive a COVID-19 jab outside of a clinical trial.

2020

NHS launches a call for volunteers to become NHS Volunteer Responders

2020

Start of COVID-19 vaccination campaign starting with 90-year-old grandmother Margaret Keenan, who became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 jab following its clinical approval

2020

The NHS becomes the first health system in the world to commit to become carbon net zero

2021

The first treatment for sickle cell disease in over 20 years is rolled out to patients in England with life-saving benefits

2021

Dexamethasone, discovered as an effective treatment for COVID-19 in a clinical trial in the NHS, saves one million lives worldwide

2021

The first climate-friendly baby is born in Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust

2022

NHS England strikes a deal for the ‘world’s most expensive drug’ that can offer babies and young children with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) the prospect of a normal life

2022

The NHS conducts the first net zero operation at Solihull Hospital

2022

The Innovative Medicines Fund, which will enable faster patient access to promising new drugs, is launched

2022

The 100th cancer drug is fast tracked to patients through the Cancer Drugs Fund

2022

NHS treats first sickle cell disease patients with life-changing drug

2022

NHS staff honoured with George Cross by Her Majesty The Queen at Windsor Castle