Understanding health and social care

In setting the stage, “Understanding Health and Social Care” tracks the history of the welfare sector back to its charity and voluntary action roots in the early 19th century. From that point onwards, it tells the story of the gradual formalisation of both social services and the National Health Service, accompanied by an evolution of practices, emergence of health professions and developments in social thought. The opening chapters throw light on the historical dependency of the existing structures, and offer an appraisal of the current system’s capacity to respond to needs of the elderly, people with mental health problems, chronic conditions, learning difficulties, and those qualifying to multiple aforementioned groups.