E-Thesis 452 views
Indian doctors in Wales: An oral history of medical migration 1960-1990 / PETER DICKSON
Swansea University Author: PETER DICKSON
DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUthesis.65842
Abstract
This thesis is an historical analysis of the reasons behind, and experiences of, the migration of South Asian doctors to Wales. Covering the period from the inception of the National Health Service in 1948 to 1990, it concentrates on the 1960s and 1970s when the largest number of ‘first generation’...
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Swansea, Wales, UK
2024
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Master of Philosophy |
| Degree name: | M.Phil |
| Supervisor: | Bresalier, M; Johnes, M |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65842 |
| Abstract: |
This thesis is an historical analysis of the reasons behind, and experiences of, the migration of South Asian doctors to Wales. Covering the period from the inception of the National Health Service in 1948 to 1990, it concentrates on the 1960s and 1970s when the largest number of ‘first generation’ South Asian doctors (that is doctors born and trained in the Indian subcontinent) migrated to Britain.The dissertation contributes to a growing historiography of medical migration in post-war Britain, while it explores the particular conditions and circumstances of doctors who came to Wales, eventually establishing their careers there. Using medical practitioners from both north and south Wales as its case study, this dissertation contributes to the historiography of medical migration, especially in an under researched area. Wales often became the doctors’ final destination because of random circumstances, but the majority were eventually made welcome, a reflection on the ability of Welshcommunities to adapt to influxes of migrant workers.The principal research method is oral history from South Asian doctors who have lived and worked in Wales for most of their careers. These interviews represent the core data of the thesis, supplemented by interviews from other members of the medical and non-medical communities in which they worked. Alongside the oral history, local and national archive materials are used to contextualise the doctors’ experiences amid changing medical cultures, communities, and regulatory structures.This research positions medical migration as a defining feature of the social history of post-World War Two health care and medicine in Wales. The experiences of the doctors are investigated, while showing their crucial role in shaping health care provision. Their encounters shed light on long term issues, including diversity and racism, and how these challenges continue to affect the staffing of the National Health Service in Wales. |
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| Item Description: |
Part of this thesis has been redacted to protect personal information |
| Keywords: |
Indian Doctors, Migration, Wales, Oral History |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |