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Edexcel History |Changes in Public Health|
A-Level Questions and Answers| 100%
What impact did industrialisation have on public health in the 19th century?
It made cities crowded and filthy, with poor housing and dirty water. Diseases spread fast,
especially cholera and typhoid.
Why did people resist early public health reforms?
They didn’t want to pay higher taxes, and many thought illness was down to personal
choices or moral failure, not the government’s job.
How did Edwin Chadwick help push for better public health?
He wrote a report in 1842 showing how bad conditions were for the poor and said it was
cheaper to keep people healthy than treat them when they got sick.
What was new about the 1848 Public Health Act?
It was the first time the government said towns should clean up, with local boards of health –
but it wasn’t forced, so some places ignored it.
What made the 1875 Public Health Act more effective than earlier ones?
It made sanitation rules compulsory – councils had to clean streets, provide sewage systems,
and improve water supplies.
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What role did John Snow play in changing ideas about disease?
He showed that cholera spread through dirty water, not bad air (miasma), using a map of
outbreaks in Soho to prove it.
Why did attitudes toward government responsibility change in the late 1800s?
More people believed poverty caused illness, and working-class men could now vote, so
politicians had to care more about their health.
How did germ theory affect public health policies?
Once people knew germs caused disease (thanks to Pasteur and Koch), they took cleanliness
way more seriously, leading to better hygiene laws.
What was the significance of the Great Stink (1858)?
The smell from the Thames was so awful Parliament had to act – it led to Joseph Bazalgette
building a proper sewage system in London.
How did the Boer War highlight problems in public health?
So many army recruits were unhealthy that the government realised poor living conditions
were a national issue, not just a personal one.
What did the Liberal social reforms of 1906–1914 do for public health?
They brought in things like free school meals, medical checks for kids, and old age pensions
– small steps, but showed the state was getting more involved.
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How did World War One affect public health policies?
It showed how important it was to have a healthy population – the government started
housing and health campaigns, especially for soldiers’ families.
Why was the NHS such a big turning point in public health?
It gave everyone free healthcare from 1948, so illness wasn’t just about how rich you were
anymore – way more people could access treatment.
What made Beveridge’s report so popular in 1942?
It promised to fight the “five giants” like disease and want – people liked the idea of a fairer
society after the war.
How did local councils help improve public health after 1945?
They built better housing, cleared slums, and ran health education campaigns. Councils
played a big role in turning national ideas into action.
Why was the Clean Air Act (1956) introduced?
Because of the deadly smog in London that killed thousands – the act aimed to cut air
pollution by limiting smoke from homes and factories.
Edexcel History |Changes in Public Health|
A-Level Questions and Answers| 100%
What impact did industrialisation have on public health in the 19th century?
It made cities crowded and filthy, with poor housing and dirty water. Diseases spread fast,
especially cholera and typhoid.
Why did people resist early public health reforms?
They didn’t want to pay higher taxes, and many thought illness was down to personal
choices or moral failure, not the government’s job.
How did Edwin Chadwick help push for better public health?
He wrote a report in 1842 showing how bad conditions were for the poor and said it was
cheaper to keep people healthy than treat them when they got sick.
What was new about the 1848 Public Health Act?
It was the first time the government said towns should clean up, with local boards of health –
but it wasn’t forced, so some places ignored it.
What made the 1875 Public Health Act more effective than earlier ones?
It made sanitation rules compulsory – councils had to clean streets, provide sewage systems,
and improve water supplies.
, 2
What role did John Snow play in changing ideas about disease?
He showed that cholera spread through dirty water, not bad air (miasma), using a map of
outbreaks in Soho to prove it.
Why did attitudes toward government responsibility change in the late 1800s?
More people believed poverty caused illness, and working-class men could now vote, so
politicians had to care more about their health.
How did germ theory affect public health policies?
Once people knew germs caused disease (thanks to Pasteur and Koch), they took cleanliness
way more seriously, leading to better hygiene laws.
What was the significance of the Great Stink (1858)?
The smell from the Thames was so awful Parliament had to act – it led to Joseph Bazalgette
building a proper sewage system in London.
How did the Boer War highlight problems in public health?
So many army recruits were unhealthy that the government realised poor living conditions
were a national issue, not just a personal one.
What did the Liberal social reforms of 1906–1914 do for public health?
They brought in things like free school meals, medical checks for kids, and old age pensions
– small steps, but showed the state was getting more involved.
, 3
How did World War One affect public health policies?
It showed how important it was to have a healthy population – the government started
housing and health campaigns, especially for soldiers’ families.
Why was the NHS such a big turning point in public health?
It gave everyone free healthcare from 1948, so illness wasn’t just about how rich you were
anymore – way more people could access treatment.
What made Beveridge’s report so popular in 1942?
It promised to fight the “five giants” like disease and want – people liked the idea of a fairer
society after the war.
How did local councils help improve public health after 1945?
They built better housing, cleared slums, and ran health education campaigns. Councils
played a big role in turning national ideas into action.
Why was the Clean Air Act (1956) introduced?
Because of the deadly smog in London that killed thousands – the act aimed to cut air
pollution by limiting smoke from homes and factories.
