Description:

Before the National Health Service was established, Hereford General Hospital ran its own contributory health service. The objective of the scheme was “to provide persons of moderate means in times of sickness or injury with free treatment for themselves and their families in the general wards of the hospital, and with free out-patient treatment and other benefits, on payment of a small weekly or yearly contribution.”

A membership card was issued, recording payments made to a ‘collector’ as evidence of entitlement to treatment when the need arose. Presumably such local schemes operated widely around the country, and give an interesting insight into developing  ideas of health insurance and treatment ‘free’ at the point of delivery in the early part of the 20^th century..

The photographs below are of the membership card issued to Miss Edith Powell of bridge farm covering the years 1942, 1943 and 1944.

Observations:

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