For UK members mainly I was born in Dec 1944, so I am older than NHS!! does this mean hospital had to be paid

Question

I did not realise until the celebrations last week, that I am in fact OLDER than NHS. My family always used to point out to me the hospital where I was born, 0500 one snowy morning....it consisted of little units which I was led to believe had something to do with the war?? Nowadays its a housing estate but I am left to wonder, with no family left to ask, if my birth in that hospital had to be paid for and if so, how much - is there any UK resident out there able to enlighten me in any way.

Answer 1

Yes. all hospitals and doctors had to be paid although sometimes charities paid for very poor people.

The working classes often paid a few pence a week to an insurance company or benevolent society in case they needed treatment.

Answer 2

A lot of people paid into private schemes. I was born in 1942 in a private nursing home (no hospital spaces due to the war) I've often wondered how my parents afforded it, as they had very little money. There was something called 'the panel' but from what I have read, and from what has been said on TV programmes celbrating 60 years of the NHS, that only covered the wage earner.

Answer 3

Some hospitals were run by charities.  There were also, as said above, insurances schemes etc. that people paid into.  I think they still had to pay something towards it though.  I am 11 months older than you and I was born at home and my Mum told me they had to pay the midwife.