Charity in National Health Service Hospitals in the UK, 1948-1970

Event Date: 18 February 2026

Speaker: Bernard Harris, Professor Social Policy

Time: 12.30–1.30 - the room will be open from 12-2pm to allow for attendees who would like to bring their own lunch / tea and coffee and for informal networking before and after the seminar.

Location: Level 8, StrathUnion, University of Strathclyde

This latest talk in the Strathclyde Institute for Sustainable Communities (SISC) seminar series is a thought-provoking session featuring Bernard Harris, Professor of Social Policy. Bernard’s research is concerned with various aspects of the social history of health and welfare since circa 1700.

Abstract: In 1946, Aneurin Bevan argued that it was ‘repugnant’ for hospitals to have to rely on the ‘caprice’ of private charity, and promised to ‘leave it behind – entirely’. However, charity continued to play an important role within Britain’s National Health Service. This paper draws on a range of published and unpublished sources to investigate the development of this role during the formative years of the NHS between 1948 and early-1970s. It uses a framework which has been developed to examine the role of charity in the more recent past to explore the different ways in which charity not only supplemented statutory services but also substituted for them, as well supporting innovation, research and advocacy. It concludes by examining the strengths and limitations of this framework and by exploring the wider significance of charitable activity for our understanding of both the NHS and the welfare state more generally.

Those who would prefer to attend remotely can do so and will receive a Teams link shortly before the start of the event.

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Published: 20 January 2026