Rehabilitation Services for the Injured

Abstract

Based on a Dissertation read before the Royal Medical Society on Friday, 23rd October, 1964

Not until the start of the 20th century did the organisation of rehabilitation services on a comprehensive scale develop. In this, Britain played a leading role largely due to the influence and leadership of one great man—Sir Robert Jones. Robert Jones was selected in the 1890’s to organise the first unified accident service in Great Britain, which was set up to deal with the injuries sustained by the large body of men employed in the construction of Manchester Ship Canal. The social conscience of the time did not include rehabilitation per se in the accident service, but the experience gained there by the young surgeon bore fruit in the First World War when as a famous orthopaedic surgeon, he was given the task of organising special military hospitals with full rehabilitation facilities.