Jewish Consultants after the Second World War

Abstract

This chapter explores Jewish consultants after the Second World War. In the years immediately after the Second World War, there was a shortage of places in British medical schools, and in the intense competition for admission between recent school-leavers and returning soldiers, priority was given to those who could show evidence of military service. As a result, there were instances of prejudice being shown against Jewish applicants and refugees, some of whom were of Jewish origin. Meanwhile, because of the shortage of consultants at the inauguration of the National Health Service in 1948, hospitals had to employ a large number of refugee doctors, many of whom were specialists. While the post-war period saw an expansion of the number of Jewish doctors practising in London, the increase over the late 1930s was not dramatic. Following the Race Relations Acts of 1965, 1968, and 1976, a more tolerant climate of opinion gradually evolved which assisted Jews and others when they applied for medical scholarships and appointments as specialists. The chapter then examines how the new machinery set up for the selection of senior hospital staff enhanced the opportunities for Jewish candidates to make successful applications.