Community-based rehabilitation in England

The National Health Service was established in postwar Britain with the main aims of improving the health of the nation and providing free medical care when it was needed. Over the years the service has become increasingly involved in crisis intervention, rather than prevention. The ageing population has placed new demands on the service but the strength of family medicine, together with rehabilitation services, has formed the basis of good community-based rehabilitation. There is still the need to integrate the medically provided service with that of the social services.