The National Health Service came into existence on 5 July 1948, but it was not an easy birth. Today it serves the needs of one-and-a-half million patients and their families every day, but in the months leading up to its inception it faced a barrage of criticism from the media, the Conservative Party and, most vociferously, from doctors, nurses and dentists who feared they would lose their independence. Labour's Minister of Health, Nye Bevan , was the man charged with delivering the NHS; this film reveals how his determination, courage and political skill instituted a system that is widely regarded as a national treasure.
Director Mark Hayhurst ; Producer Ian Macmillan
See also Panorama on Monday at 8.30pm on BBC1