GCSE > History > AQA > GCSE History: Medicine and Health in Britain (1000-Present) Topic Summaries > Medieval medicine > Medieval hospitals
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Summary table
  • Most hospitals were run by the Church as caring for the sick was seen as a religious duty. These were staffed by monks and nuns who could provide food and beds (often shared).
  • Hospitals rarely had doctors and treatments largely consisted of herbal remedies and prayer.
  • There were approximately 1,200 hospitals in England and Wales.
  • St. Mary of Bethlehem (Bedlam) was a famous hospital for the “poor or silly persons” (people with mental illness).
  • Insane, contagious, and pregnant patients were usually not admitted.
  • Some hospitals called lazar houses specialised in caring for lepers and quarantine them since leprosy was known to be contagious.
  • Surgery was typically a last resort, due to the problem of shock and pain. Techniques were basic and dangerous due to lack of anaesthetics and antiseptics. Some attempts were made to put the patient to sleep using hemlock or opium, but typically would require holding or tying the patient down.

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