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Medicine in modern Britain, c1900 to present
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In the 20th century, science, technology and the NHS transformed medicine. Lifestyle and genetics now help explain disease.
Causes and diagnosis
Scientists found that some illnesses have genetic causes. Watson and Crick described the structure of DNA in 1953, using Rosalind Franklin's X-ray images. The Human Genome Project mapped human genes by 2003.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet and alcohol were linked to disease.
Diagnosis improved with blood tests, X-rays, CT and MRI scans, and monitors for blood pressure and heart rate.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet and alcohol were linked to disease.
Diagnosis improved with blood tests, X-rays, CT and MRI scans, and monitors for blood pressure and heart rate.
Penicillin and the NHS
Fleming noticed in 1928 that mould killed bacteria.
Florey and Chain purified penicillin and tested it around 1940 to 1941. With US and British government support during the war, it was mass-produced in time for D-Day (1944).
The NHS began in 1948, led by Aneurin Bevan, giving free healthcare at the point of use. Mass vaccination campaigns (such as diphtheria and polio) and government health campaigns followed.
Florey and Chain purified penicillin and tested it around 1940 to 1941. With US and British government support during the war, it was mass-produced in time for D-Day (1944).
The NHS began in 1948, led by Aneurin Bevan, giving free healthcare at the point of use. Mass vaccination campaigns (such as diphtheria and polio) and government health campaigns followed.
Case study: lung cancer
In 1950 Doll and Hill showed the link between smoking and lung cancer.
Diagnosis: CT scans, bronchoscopy and biopsies.
Treatment: surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and newer targeted drugs based on genetics.
Prevention: government action such as tobacco advertising bans and the ban on smoking in enclosed public places in 2007.
Diagnosis: CT scans, bronchoscopy and biopsies.
Treatment: surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and newer targeted drugs based on genetics.
Prevention: government action such as tobacco advertising bans and the ban on smoking in enclosed public places in 2007.
Explain the role of government in the development of penicillin.
- Florey and Chain had shown penicillin worked but could not make enough.
- During the war, US and British governments funded mass production.
- Enough penicillin was made to treat soldiers by D-Day in 1944.
Answer: Government funding turned penicillin into a mass-produced drug.
DNA structure 1953; Human Genome Project. Fleming 1928, Florey and Chain 1940s, mass production for D-Day 1944. NHS 1948 (Bevan). Lung cancer: smoking link, scans, chemo and radiotherapy, public smoking ban 2007.
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