Evelyn Anderson

Supervisors

Dr Andrew Jennings and Professor Sarah-Anne Munoz (NHS Education for Scotland)

Research Title

Exploring local authority provision of health services in Shetland: 1908 - 1948

Research Abstract

The delivery of health and care services were the responsibility of local health authorities before the NHS was established in 1948. The origins of state health services can be seen in the Poor Law and Public Health Medical Services in the Nineteenth Century but into the Twentieth Century there was a considerable expansion of what became known as the ‘Personal Health Services.’ Personal Health Services included Maternal and Child Welfare, School Medical Inspection, and the National Insurance Act along with its Tuberculosis schemes. There were other health services that local authorities were expected to deliver such as those for Venereal Disease, the Highlands and Islands Medical Services, and of course the Public Health Services and Poor Law Medical Services were a continuing responsibility. This research will explore the delivery of services by Shetlands local authorities in the timeframe 1908 – 1948, aiming to discover how remote island life may have impacted on health care provision.

The study involves searching a range of primary archival sources, for example, Government inquiries and reports, local authority minutes of meetings, medical officer of health reports, Scottish central health authority documents, newspaper articles and other sources. Interviews will also be conducted with individuals who have memories of, or have heard stories about, health and care in Shetland before the NHS. These will be analysed, and themes developed and will contribute accounts of the lived experiences of Islanders in relation to heath within the thesis.

Biography

Evelyn (Lyn) is a part time PhD student at the Institute of Northern Studies, based in Shetland. Previously Lyn completed a MLitt in Orkney and Shetland Studies with UHI and this PhD follows on from her Masters Dissertation ‘Feeries and Pheesic’ Health and care in Shetland 1700 – 1900. Lyn’s background is in health and she still works part-time as a nurse, and is actively involved with her local history group and Shetland Family History Society.

Contact email address 16025875@uhi.ac.uk