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History of Bupa
For over half a century Bupa has been dedicated to caring for people's health. Its services have grown from funding treatment, to providing treatment and care, to preventing illness and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
1940s
Bupa began as The British United Provident Association in 1947 to preserve freedom of choice in health care. It believed that with the National Health Service being introduced a year later, there would still be a need for a complimentary service enabling people from all walks of life to afford the benefits of choice in where, when and by whom they were treated.
1950s
The benefits of private treatment became more appealing as economic reality hit the NHS. Led by the growing public demand for healthcare and a lack of quality private accommodation Bupa initiated the Nuffield Homes Charitable Trust - later renamed Nuffield Hospitals.
1960s
To help relieve the shortage of hospital beds due to the closure of many nursing homes, Bupa used its reserves and investment income to help develop Nuffield Hospitals into a national network to provide quality care for private patients.
1970s
The seventies were a period when Bupa could fulfil its true purpose of adopting a positive attitude to health, a preventive approach. The first Bupa health screening centre was opened along with two Bupa medical research charities. The seventies also saw Bupa branch out overseas.
1980s
One of the most encouraging aspects of Bupa's work in the eighties was the establishment of joint ventures with the NHS, in particular with St Thomas' Hospital, London and the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases. The eighties also saw the beginning of a rapid hospital building and acquisition programme and the opening of the first Bupa care home.
1990s
Bupa became associated with health and fitness, not just illness and treatment, with a high-profile sports sponsorship programme, enhanced health screening services and a sophisticated fitness assessment programme. Bupa's UK hospitals were credited with the ISO 9002 quality award.
As we look towards our next half century, our aims remain the same as they did in 1947: to prevent, relieve and cure sickness and ill health, to promote health in any way, and to raise, establish, maintain and administer a fund for defraying medical costs on behalf of our members.
See how far Bupa has come
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