This week marks the 75th Anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

The NHS was launched on Monday 5 July 1948, following the passing of the National Health Service Act by the UK Parliament two years earlier.

The BMA represents, supports and negotiates on behalf of all UK doctors and medical students. We are member-run and led, fighting for the best terms and conditions as well as lobbying and campaigning on the issues impacting the medical profession.

The BMA worked throughout the formation of the NHS to provide advice and support for medical professionals and negotiate on members’ behalf.

The BMA Archive holds a wealth of material which demonstrate how the organisation has worked to represent the profession.

From Friday 7 July until Friday 4 August 2023, there will be an exhibition of documents, photographs and marketing materials from the BMA Archive, in the Hastings Room, on the ground floor of BMA House for members to visit.

Below are a selection of some of the items that appear in the exhibition:

The above picture, taken at the BMA’s 1998 Annual Representative Meeting (ARM), held in Cardiff, shows the presentation of a plaque to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the NHS. The presentation was made in front of a statue of Aneurin Bevan, who spearheaded the creation of the NHS in his role as the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Health.

Over the last 75 years the BMA has been involved with and launched several movements such as the 1975 campaign, Save the NHS and #NoMoreGames in 2015, supporting medical professionals and protecting the NHS.

Poster from BMA led campaign SOS for the NHS, 1987 (BMA Archive ref. C/2/2/7).

Photograph of Junior Doctors Committee members for the SOS for the NHS campaign, taken in the courtyard of BMA House, in 1989.

A full-page advertisement for the BMA’s Look After Our NHS campaign in 2009.