Resource created by Kirklees Museums and Galleries

This resource explores the history of healthcare and medicine in Kirklees, from prehistoric remedies to modern hospitals and public health initiatives. It examines how people treated illness using herbs, midwives, and early doctors, as well as how major events like epidemics, industrialisation, and the World Wars shaped local medical care. Pupils will learn about key figures, innovations, and the development of public health, showing how healthcare has changed over time and continues to evolve today. 

Curriculum links:  

KS2 History: a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066 

AQA GCSE History: Britain: health and the people, c.1000 to the present day 

Edexcel GCSE History: Medicine in Britain, c.1250 to the present day 

Eduqas GCSE History: Changes in health and medicine in Britain, c.500 to the present day 

OCR GCSE History: The people’s health, c.1250 to the present day 

Context: 

The history of healthcare in Kirklees reflects the wider changes in medicine and society across England. From the prehistoric period, local communities relied on herbal remedies and folk healers, long before doctors or hospitals existed. By the Norman Conquest, churches and monasteries provided care for the sick, showing how religion shaped healthcare nationally. The Black Death and later plague outbreaks mirrored national crises, highlighting the need for quarantine and community support. 

During the Industrial Revolution, rapidly growing mill towns like Huddersfield, Dewsbury, and Batley faced overcrowding, poor sanitation, and disease. Cholera epidemics prompted the development of public health reforms, paralleling national efforts led by pioneers such as Edwin Chadwick and Florence Nightingale, who improved hygiene, hospitals, and nursing. 

In the 20th century, world wars accelerated medical advances, including surgery, blood transfusions, and vaccinations. Local initiatives, such as Benjamin Broadbent’s infant welfare schemes, reflected national campaigns to reduce infant mortality. Kirklees’ story shows how local medicine has always been shaped by wider social, technological, and political changes. 

Learning objectives:  

• Identify key facts about the history of healthcare in Kirklees 

• Describe how healthcare has changed over time in the local area 

• Explain how national events have impacted on healthcare in the local area 

Discussion and Activity Ideas: 

1. Reading: As a class read Kay’s Marvellous Medicine by Adam Kay 
2. Art: Design and build a 3D model of a hospital of the future, thinking about shapes, colours, gardens, and spaces that make it safe, healthy, and welcoming. Use recycled materials, cardboard, or clay to create your model, adding details like windows, entrances, outdoor areas, or signs promoting public health. 
3. Heritage is… 

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Midwives, nurses, and health visitors often faced difficult conditions. How might their work and status have been different if they were men or from wealthier backgrounds? How is it different for healthcare workers today? 

• Health: How did epidemics like the Black Death, cholera, or the Spanish Flu affect families and communities in Kirklees? How is healthcare today different from then? 

• PSHE: Benjamin Broadbent introduced health visitors and nurseries to help babies survive. How can communities today support children’s health and wellbeing? 

• Careers: What skills and qualities would doctors, nurses, and public health officers need in the past compared to those working in the NHS today? 

Organisation URL: https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/museums-and-galleries/index.aspx 

Glossary: 

• Apothecary – A person who prepared and sold medicines, often using herbs and natural ingredients, before the rise of modern chemists. 
• Astrology – The study of the stars and planets, once believed to influence a person’s health and fate. 
• Black Death – A deadly plague that swept through Europe in the 14th century, killing large numbers of people. 
• Cholera – A contagious disease causing severe diarrhoea and dehydration, often linked to contaminated water. 
• Infirmary – A place where sick or injured people were cared for, often before modern hospitals existed. 
• Medical Officer of Health – An official employed by local councils to monitor public health, sanitation, and disease prevention. 
• Midwife – A trained woman who assists in childbirth and provides care and advice for mothers and babies. 
• Pesthouse – A building where people infected with contagious diseases were isolated to prevent the spread of illness. 
• Public Health – Efforts to prevent disease and promote the health of communities, rather than just treating illness. 
• Vaccination – A medical treatment that protects people from infectious diseases by stimulating immunity.
• Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) – A group of volunteers, often women, who provided nursing and support during wars. 
• Four Humours – An ancient medical theory that health depended on the balance of blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.