The Beveridge Report

After a distinguished career in the civil service and then as undersecretary at the Ministry of Labour in Churchill's wartime coalition government, in December 1940 Sir William Beveridge was sidelined to head up an obscure inquiry into the coordination of social services. "Medical treatment covering all requirements will be provided for all citizens by a national health service organised under the health departments, and post-medical rehabilitation will be provided for all persons capable of profiting by it," he declared.