A History of Public Health in Post-War Britain (FutureLearn)

A History of Public Health in Post-War Britain (FutureLearn)

Understand where public health has come from, why it looks the way it does today and where it might go next. History can offer us a unique insight into the public health problems, policies, and practices of the past, and is of critical importance to our understanding of healthcare in the contemporary world. This online course will offer you an opportunity to bring the past into conversation with the present, enabling you to set the changing nature of public health in post-war Britain in context with changes seen today.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

What topics will you cover?

  • How the meaning and scope of public health has changed in Britain over the last 70 years
  • The nature of public health services and their shifting relationship to local government and the National Health Service
  • Individual responsibility for public health
  • How chronic disease became a key challenge for public health
  • The persistence of infectious disease and the appearance of new conditions like HIV/AIDS
  • Socioeconomic status and its impact on public health
  • Health education techniques, tactics and effectiveness
  • Attempts to use regulations to improve public health
  • The limits of public health, its successes and failures over time.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Explore the different definitions of public health and describe how these developed over the post-war period
  • Identify the structures, organisations and individuals that put public health into practice
  • Reflect on the challenges faced by public health in post-war Britain
  • Evaluate the different solutions put forward to address public health problems in post-war Britain
  • Interpret contemporary public health structures, challenges and solutions alongside their historical context
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRD) in Primary Care Settings (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Edinburgh,International Primary Care Respiratory Group - IPCRG,RESPIRE

Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRD) in Primary Care Settings (FutureLearn)

Explore diagnosis and management of respiratory disease using case studies from low resource settings. Get practical guidance on primary care management of CRD. On this course, you’ll get a world-class introduction in how to diagnose and manage respiratory disease in low- and middle-income primary care settings.

Nov 13th 2023
5-12 Weeks
Nutrition: Eating to Live Well (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Taipei Medical University

Nutrition: Eating to Live Well (FutureLearn)

Explore the importance of nutrition and learn how eating well can support humans to live longer, healthier lives. Discover the effect nutrition has on humans throughout their lives. Have you ever wondered how what you eat affects your health? Nutrition plays a key role in human health and disease prevention. On this course, you will explore the food health crisis of modern times, and learn how nutrition can help humans experience longer and healthier lives.

Apr 15th 2024
4 Weeks
MedTech: Orthopaedic Implants and Regenerative Medicine (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

MedTech: Orthopaedic Implants and Regenerative Medicine (FutureLearn)

Explore regenerative medicine and learn how MedTech is revolutionising orthopaedics. Explore the future of orthopaedics and developments in regenerative medicine. On this course, you will learn about the MedTech currently used in orthopaedics, and explore how the benefits of regenerative medicine will affect the future of this technology.

Sep 23rd 2024
2 Weeks
Causes of Human Disease: Understanding Cardiovascular Disease (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Causes of Human Disease: Understanding Cardiovascular Disease (FutureLearn)

Explore normal cardiovascular function and risk factors associated with heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading global cause of death. On this course, you’ll learn how the cardiovascular system functions and understand common cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke, as well as the risk factors associated with them.

Sep 23rd 2024
2 Weeks
Food Technology, Health and Safety (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Taipei Medical University

Food Technology, Health and Safety (FutureLearn)

Address important food safety concerns including food fraud and allergies, additives, microorganisms, and heavy metals. Learn how to detect food fraud and food allergies. On this four-week course from Taipei Medical University, you’ll discuss global food safety concerns, exploring the effects of different foods, toxins, and additives on the human body.

Apr 15th 2024
4 Weeks
Perioperative Medicine in Action (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London

Perioperative Medicine in Action (FutureLearn)

Explore perioperative medicine and how you can improve care for the high risk surgical patient. Join this RCoA endorsed course. Too many patients die or suffer prolonged complications following surgery. Perioperative medicine is an emerging, multi-disciplinary approach, which tackles this issue, by optimising the care of high-risk surgical patients. It encompasses disciplines including anaesthetics, surgery, nursing, care of the elderly, physiotherapy and healthcare management.

Jul 1st 2024
4 Weeks
Food Safety and Nutrition: A Global Approach to Public Health (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Food Safety and Nutrition: A Global Approach to Public Health (FutureLearn)

Understand global food security issues and learn about research designed to tackle food safety and nutrition challenges. Enhance your knowledge of global food safety and nutrition issues. Food security is reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, safe, and nutritious food.

Sep 23rd 2024
3 Weeks
Nutrition and Disease Prevention (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Taipei Medical University

Nutrition and Disease Prevention (FutureLearn)

Learn about the relationship between diet and disease and discover the role a nutrient-rich diet can play in disease prevention. Understand how good nutrition can prevent disease. Diet-related diseases and obesity levels are rising. On this course you will explore the relationship between diet and disease and the role diet plays in weight management. You will examine the latest research studies to consider how poor nutrition can lead to ill health, and whether what we eat can help to prevent the onset of common diseases, such as cancer.

Apr 15th 2024
4 Weeks
The School for Change Agents (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
NHS Leadership Academy,NHS Horizons

The School for Change Agents (FutureLearn)

Develop the skills to make a difference and create change in your organisation on this course targeted to health and care staff. Build the confidence needed to make change happen. Do you want to make a difference in your organisation? On this course, you will build the skills, confidence, and supportive community needed to create change in an evolving environment.

Nov 11th 2024
5-12 Weeks
MedTech: AI and Medical Robots (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

MedTech: AI and Medical Robots (FutureLearn)

Explore human robot interaction and enter the fascinating world of robotics and artificial intelligence in healthcare. Learn how medical robots in healthcare are designed, regulated and used. On this course, you will learn what robots are and explore human robot interaction (HRI) in healthcare. You will identify the challenges of designing robots for healthcare and look at what MedTech scientists are doing to solve them.

Sep 23rd 2024
2 Weeks
Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Deakin University,Food & Mood Centre

Food and Mood: Improving Mental Health Through Diet and Nutrition (FutureLearn)

Explore the relationship between nutrition and brain health, why it matters, and how to work towards positive food changes. Learn how healthy dietary choices can improve your mental and brain health. Poor diet and poor mental health are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. We now know that diet quality is a modifiable factor that is linked to mental and brain health across all stages of our lives. We will explore how our daily diets may affect our mental and brain health, including the role of our immune system and gut microbiome.

Jan 12th 2026
3 Weeks
Opioids and Surgery (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London

Opioids and Surgery (FutureLearn)

Gain a practical approach to perioperative opioid stewardship to minimise harms from opioids prescribed at the time of surgery. On this three-week course, you’ll explore the key concepts of opioid stewardship. You’ll learn how to minimise the risks associated with opioid use around the time of surgery whilst allowing safe administration to patients who are most likely to benefit from them.

Jan 29th 2024
3 Weeks