The 60th anniversary of the founding of the NHS took place in 2008. The first academic department of general practice in the modern era also dated from the ‘due date’ for the start of the NHS on 1 July when the University of Edinburgh established its ‘academic general practice’ in the former Mackenzie House Public Dispensary within its Department of Social Medicine. By 2000, there were 27 departments of general practice in the traditional medical schools of the UK (the department in Trinity College Dublin has traditionally been included in this grouping). The history of their evolution and development has been interesting but not always straightforward; often a source of frustration but eventually one of achievement and satisfaction. This essay tries to tease out some of the issues that have had to be faced up to on the journey.
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