大象传媒

In a series tracing decisive moments in the life of our National Health Service, medical historian Sally Sheard explores the archive to tell the stories behind five crucial moments, in this final omnibus edition from Radio 4's National Health Stories series.

The New Plague: At the start of the 1980s a mysterious disease, AIDS, appeared in gay men. Activists, doctors and politicians worked together to stop the disease spreading.

Policing the Bugs: When MRSA hit the headlines, the NHS had to clean up its act, with the infection control nurse leading the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Too Much Medicine: The breast screening programme forced the NHS to weigh up whether the lives saved, by early detection, justified the risk that some women would undergo treatment they didn't need.

Nurse!: Nursing is traditionally seen as a caring profession but recently this image has been overshadowed by tales of lack of compassion. What should we expect from nurses today?

Never Enough: Bevan knew that the NHS would never have enough money to meet the overwhelming need. How have health ministers attempted to deal with its problems over the last 70 years?

Producers: Beth Eastwood & Deborah Cohen.