"A means of restoring the health and preserving the lives of His Majesty's subjects": Ireland's 18th-Century National Hospital System.
In 1765, the Irish parliament enacted legislation that established a nationwide hospital network funded by a mixture of taxation and philanthropic donations. The county infirmaries had a similar ethos to the British and Irish voluntary hospitals; only those with an admission ticket were admitted. The legislation also regulated the qualifications of the County Infirmary Surgeons who were authorised to run the infirmaries. This was the first statutory nationwide network of care in Ireland. No other country in contemporary Europe passed similar legislation. The Irish parliamentarians and Charles Lucas in particular appear to have been the impetus for this innovative legislation.
School of History, University College of Cork.
Susan
S
Mullaney
D049671:History, 18th Century; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000266:history*; D007494:Ireland; D007878:Legislation as Topic / Q000266:history
18th century; 18the siècle; County Infirmary; Ireland; Irlande; Surgeon; chirurgien; dispensaire de comté