British military hospital

[3] The first example of more integrated facilities being set up in Britain was during the War of American Independence, when (by 1781) three hospitals had been put in place to receive returning wounded servicemen (one in Portsmouth, on in Chatham and one in Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight); but these were only temporary provisions.

[5] After Crimea, the recommendations of Florence Nightingale, Douglas Galton, Sidney Herbert, John Sutherland and others led to the formation of a Barracks and Hospitals Commission (1858) and the building of new Army General Hospitals in accordance with the latest design principles for improving health and hygiene.

Hospitals were provided both at home and overseas; and, although they were staffed by army personnel and placed under army discipline and command, they provided a service locally 'for all soldiers, seamen of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, and others duly authorized to be admitted therein'.

[7] For smaller detachments (of less than a hundred men) hospital provision could be placed under a civilian medical practitioner.

[2] Provision of hospitals in the field of battle, as envisaged in the late 19th century, depended on medical officers being attached to front-line regiments and corps, with regimental bearer companies under their command who would convey the injured personnel back to the hospitals.

[12] Two years later, as part of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, it was announced that Haslar too would close; subsequently, provision of a specialised military hospital service would be limited to a number of small MOD units established within (civilian) NHS hospitals.

[12] During the 19th and 20th centuries the British Army operated a large variety of permanent and temporary military hospitals, both at home and overseas, some of which are listed here.