The Past 150 Years of Health

2.1 Write a short individual report of what has changed over this 150 year period and why. By doing this you will acknowledge the advances in knowledge and technology affecting health and concepts of health over the past 150 years.

Around 150 years ago the local doctors and national hospitals couldn’t do much in terms of improving health and therefore the way healthcare was organized hardly mattered. Once anaesthesia and aseptic surgery became available, hospitals gained a more important role in society and in the early years of the 20th century the idea of a district hospital providing all usual forms of hospital care for a local population was accepted (Rivett, 2014). In 1854 the standards of hospital cleanliness and nursing quality rose dramatically under the influence of Florence Nightingale; she demonstrated that these factors played a major role in helping people heal and recover from illness. ‘Modern nursing derives so completely from the example and teaching of Florence Nightingale hat it is hard to pick out the particular practices that owe their existence to her influence’ (Arnstein, 1967).
In 1899 the first motorised ambulance was introduced. Prior to this, ambulances were horses and carts. This advancement in technology allowed patients to travel at a greater speed, with more safety and in a smoother ride. The first automobile ambulances were electrically powered by a 2 horsepower motor. The first gasoline powered ambulance was introduced in 1905 and were three-wheeled vehicles, designed to be used on the battlefield. They were cased in bulletproof steel sheets to protect the ambulance staff and patients; this greatly reduced the mortality rate of patients during transport as ambulances were often targets of bombs and enemy fire (Barkley, 1978). Modern ambulances are now specifically kitted out with life-saving and vehicle recognition equipment. The vehicle recognition has drastically reduced both response and transport time, reducing mortality...