What was the NHS cost by 1951?

• A. £100 million
• B. £250 million
• C. £500 million
• D. £1 billion

Answer: (C)

Understanding how quickly public health care costs grew after the NHS was created shows the scale of its early expansion. After its founding in 1948, the system brought hospital care, GP services, prescriptions and more into a single, funded framework, so spending rose rapidly as universal care spread.

By 1951 the annual NHS expenditure was roughly £500 million. This reflects the large growth in services, hospital capacity and staff costs as the new system operated across the country. The smaller figures would understate the rapid postwar growth of the service, while £1 billion would be unlikely given the economy and public spending limits of the time. So, about £500 million best captures the cost by 1951.