Long before the 'Charley Says' campaign of the 1970s and 80s, another cartoon Charley was used to explain the postwar Labour government's new legislative reforms. In this film Charley demystifies the new state-funded National Health Service, detailing the benefits a free-at-point-of-delivery health service will offer to everyone in England.

Endowed with an everyday, man-on-the-street charm and armed with cheeky ripostes to authoritative commentary, the cartoon character designed by Joy Batchelor became the familiar face of official postwar propaganda, serving to anticipate and, it was hoped, overcome the British public's characteristic scepticism about government-imposed changes.