Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History · specification 4HI1 · Paper 2 | Section B: Breadth Study in Change · Free · no account needed
Medicine 5 — Advances in medicine, surgery and public health 1920–48; the NHS (4HI1 specification)
Penicillin from observation to mass production, and a health service free at the point of use.
Learn it on Incandio
The 3 Incandio pages that teach this — each explained in full, then proved in marked questions, taught back to an AI pupil and defended in a debate. Completely free.
- Penicillin: Fleming, Florey and Chain — Who was most responsible for penicillin — and what does your answer say about what responsibility means?
- The Second World War: skin grafts, blood and women in medicine — Britain built a national blood transfusion service in 1938. What does that tell you about 1948?
- Beveridge and the NHS — Doctors opposed the NHS until the week it opened. Why did they join?
The teaching route this belongs to: Advances in medicine, surgery and public health 1920–48; the NHS — Changes in medicine — the lessons in order, with every gate.
Specification coverage
Paper 2, Section B — B2 Changes in medicine, c1848–c1948, key topic 5
Assessment objectives: AO1, AO2. Suggested learning time: 100 minutes.
Required knowledge
- The development of penicillin and the roles of Fleming, Florey and Chain
- The importance of the Second World War for developments in surgery, including skin grafts and blood transfusion, and for the role of women in medicine
- Beveridge, the development of the NHS and its importance for public health
Required skills
- Explain and analyse using second-order concepts: causation, consequence, change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance
- Track change and continuity across the whole period, not just within one key topic
- Reach a supported judgement rather than describing events
How it is examined
- (a) 6 marks — “Explain TWO ways in which X was different from Y” (AO1 2, AO2 4)
- (b) 8 marks — “Explain TWO causes of…” (AO1 4, AO2 4)
- (c) 16 marks — significance or causation across the period, choice of two, with two bullet prompts (AO1 7, AO2 9)
Common mistakes
- Crediting penicillin to Fleming alone. Florey and Chain made it a usable drug, and the specification names all three.
- Treating the NHS as inevitable. Beveridge, wartime experience and political choice all belong in the explanation.
This page maps the specification. The pages above teach it, and the History lessons hold the whole course — completely free.