Henry Willink
Sir Henry Urmston Willink, 1st Baronet, MC, PC, QC (7 March 1894 – 20 July 1973) was a British politician and public servant. A Conservative Member of Parliament from 1940, he became Minister of Health in 1943. During his time in power he was appointed Special Commissioner for those made homeless by the London Blitz and was involved with the production of the Beveridge Report.
The Right Honourable Sir Henry Willink MC, QC | |
|---|---|
Willink in 1948 | |
| Minister of Health | |
| In office 1943–1945 | |
| Preceded by | Ernest Brown |
| Succeeded by | Aneurin Bevan |
| Member of Parliament for Croydon North | |
| In office 19 June 1940 – 29 January 1948 | |
| Preceded by | Glyn Mason |
| Succeeded by | Fred Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henry Willink 7 March 1894 Liverpool, Lancashire |
| Died | 20 July 1973 (aged 79) |
| Political party | Conservative |
The details of the report proposed a comprehensive free healthcare system, this led to the white paper A National Health Service, published in 1944, suggesting the creation of such a service, which did not include the nationalisation of hospitals. Such a policy was later implemented by the Labour Party through the creation of the National Health Service which differed from the proposals suggested by Willink. At the time he claimed the nationalisation of voluntary hospitals "will destroy so much in this country that we value".