The Inter-Departmental Committee led by Sir William Beveridge, considered a founding father of the NHS, published recommendations on social insurance and allied services.
Following on from the 1944 white paper, the Act provided for the establishment of a free, universal and comprehensive health service for England and Wales.
The Report of the Royal Commission on the Law Relating to Mental Illness and Mental Deficiency (chaired by Baron Percy of Newcastle) recommended that care should be provided in the community.
Legislation was introduced to implement the Percy Commission's 1957 recommendations to move care for people with 'a mental disorder' into the community.