--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look back to 1948 when the British…" description: "\"Look back to 1948 when the British Medical Association denounced Aneurin Bevan as 'a would-be Führer' for wanting them to join a National Health Servic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/andrew-lansley-24490_association_look-back-to-1948-when-the-british-medic_2393197.jpg" --- # Look back to 1948 when the British Medical Association… ![“Look back to 1948 when the British Medical Association denounced Aneurin Bevan as 'a would-be Führer' for wanting them to join a National Health Service. And Bevan himself described the BMA as 'politically poisoned people'. A survey at the time showed only 10 per cent of doctors backed the plans…” quote by Andrew Lansley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/andrew-lansley-24490_association_look-back-to-1948-when-the-british-medic_2393197.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/andrew-lansley-24490_association_look-back-to-1948-when-the-british-medic_2393197.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/andrew-lansley-24490_association_look-back-to-1948-when-the-british-medic_2393197.jpg) > “Look back to 1948 when the British Medical Association denounced Aneurin Bevan as 'a would-be Führer' for wanting them to join a National Health Service. And Bevan himself described the BMA as 'politically poisoned people'. A survey at the time showed only 10 per cent of doctors backed the plans ... But where would we be today if my predecessors had caved in?” [Andrew Lansley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lansley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how early opposition to a universal health system was intense, yet perseverance led to the NHS we know today. **In simple terms:** Early resistance to change can be overcome with determination. Key Takeaway Persist despite criticism. Themes health policy politics determination Mood reflective determined Type historical political When to use this quote - government debates - healthcare planning - public opinion - legislative negotiations Key Concepts public health policy reform institution building Questions to Reflect On - What would happen if we gave up on reforms? - How can we sustain resolve against entrenched interests? A Different Perspective Opposition may persist and delay progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Health services](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-services/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [“British Medical Journal asked its readers to vote on the most important medical milestone that had occurred since 1840, when the BMJ was first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/british-medical-journal-asked-its-readers-to-vote-on-the-most/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [Ignoring for a moment the power of the American Medical Association, we still wouldn't see a huge amount of books on neurosurgery for dummies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-naggum/ignoring-for-a-moment-the-power-of-the-american-medical-association/) [Erik Naggum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-naggum/) > [I say the American Medical Association ought to get the hell off the golf course and answer this question ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-say-the-american-medical-association-ought-to-get-the-hell-off-the/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [There is a shortage of doctors, and the American Medical Association is aiming to keep it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/there-is-a-shortage-of-doctors-and-the-american-medical-association/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [ American Medical Association \[AMA\] was strongly opposed to any scheme for group practice and to health insurance ... because they are un-American. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-fishbein/american-medical-association-ama-was-strongly-opposed-to-any-scheme/) [Morris Fishbein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-fishbein/) > [The fact is, some of the most respected scientific bodies in the world, including Codex Alimentarius (jointly run by the World Health Organization and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-lister-jones/the-fact-is-some-of-the-most-respected-scientific-bodies-in-the-world/) [Zoe Lister-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-lister-jones/) > [An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezekiel-emanuel/an-obvious-example-is-not-guaranteeing-health-services-to-patients/) [Ezekiel Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezekiel-emanuel/) > [I came to believe that health services ought not to have a price tag on them, and that people should be able to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-came-to-believe-that-health-services-ought-not-to-have-a-price-tag/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [Over the moon about strong support for the National Health Service - an institution I will defend to my dying day, second only to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-burnham/over-the-moon-about-strong-support-for-the-national-health-service-an/) [Andy Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-burnham/) > [When you look at the things people are really fed up with, like the collapse of the pension system, like the failure to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/when-you-look-at-the-things-people-are-really-fed-up-with-like-the/) [George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/) > [If policy makers and program managers participate in an interdisciplinary assessment team, make informal visits to local families and have in-depth conversations with local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-simmons/if-policy-makers-and-program-managers-participate-in-an/) [Ruth Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-simmons/) > [I'm not advocating for no guns. 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