"It was a Conservative politician, Sir Henry Willink, who put forward the proposals for “A National Health Service." That’s right, a Conservative MP, from my home city of Liverpool, who conceived the NHS."

Dr Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Conservative Party Conference

4 October 2022

Facts

Dr Thérèse Coffey, speaking at the Conservative Party 2022 Conference, claimed that the NHS was "conceived" by Conservative politician, Sir Henry Willink.

In February 1944, Willink produced his White Paper entitled A National Health Service. However, the paper did not include the nationalisation of the existing private and voluntary infrastructure that was later to become the backbone of the NHS. At the time he claimed the nationalisation of voluntary hospitals, "will destroy so much in this country that we value.”

This policy of nationalisation was later implemented by the Labour Party through the creation of the National Health Service - which differed from the proposals suggested by Willink. The Conservatives opposed the formation of the NHS, as did the British Medical Association.

Verdict

Therese Coffey misled Tory Party Conference.

We emailed Thérèse Coffey’s office offering her the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.

Previous Next