The State Medical Service Association was a pressure group formed by British doctors early in the twentieth century to press for reform of health services. One of its demands was for "freeing a large section of medical men and women from such distasteful and incongruous work as the assessing and collecting of fees for services rendered." It wanted to build on the

National Insurance Act 1911 The National Insurance Act 1911 (1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 55) created National Insurance, originally a system of health insurance for industrial workers in Great Britain based on contributions from employers, the government, and the workers themselves. ...

and develop a National Health Service, including hospital care in a comprehensive service. Dr Benjamin Moore and Dr. Milson Russen Rhodes of

Didsbury Didsbury is a suburb of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 26,788. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of ...

were prominent members. The plans produced by Lord Dawson for the

Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

government in 1920 drew on the ideas of the Association. It published a journal, ''Medical World'' from 1913 which was adopted by the

Medical Practitioners' Union Doctors in Unite is a trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. It was formerly known as the Medical Practitioners' Union (MPU) before its affiliation with Unite (trade Union), Unite. Origin The union was founded as the Panel Medical Practi ...

in 1914. When the Socialist Medical Association was founded in 1930 it absorbed many of the members and the organisation collapsed as a result.The Socialist Medical Association and the Foundation of the NHS
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References

{{authority control Medical associations based in the United Kingdom English health activists