A social context of child health

A social context of child health


1750	Population within the United Kingdom estimated at 5.8 million. One fifth of the population were likely to be paupers.

1769	Dr George Armstrong considered as one of the fathers of modern paediatrics, establishes dispensary services for children in London.

1797	“An Essay on the Diseases Most Fatal to Infants", by George Armstrong Published.

1790	Population within the United Kingdom estimated to be 8 million.

1798	Edward Jenner deliberately infected patients with the cowpox virus protecting them against infection by the more serious smallpox virus. The first ever vaccination.

1799	“A Treatise on Diseases of Children”, by M Underwood, Published.

1802	Paris opens the world’s first children’s "Hospital Hôpital des Enfants Malades".

	Health and Morals of Apprentices Act of 1802. Attempted to legislate and fixed a maximum twelve hour working day for children. Prohibited night work; required minimum standards of accommodation; along with the provision of some elementary education.

1811	27 May census estimated the population of England and Wales at 10·2 million.

1819	Cotton Mills and Factories Act of 1819. Prohibited children under the age of nine years from working in cotton mills, and restricted those over the age of nine to a 12 hour day.

1833	Slavery Abolition Act gave all slaves within the British Empire their freedom.

	Factories within the United Kingdom employed 84,000 young people, 50% of which were under the age of 14.

	The Factory Act of 1833 intended to regulate and improve the Labour of Children and Young Persons in the Mills stipulating.

	No child workers under 9 years of age. Employers must have a medical or age certificate for child workers. Children between the ages of 9-13 to work no more than 9 hours a day. Children between 13-18 to work no more than 12 hours a day. Children are not to work at night. Two hours schooling each day for children.

1834	Chimney Sweeps Act of 1843. Forbade the apprenticing of any boy under the age of 10 years, and the employment of children under 14 in chimney sweeping unless they were apprenticed or on trial. Later chimney sweep Acts any child under the age of 16 years being apprenticed, and any person under 21 being compelled or knowingly allowed to ascend or descend a chimney or flue for sweeping, cleaning or coring.

1836	Birth registration becomes mandatory.

1941- 5	Infant mortality 148 per 1000.

1844	“Lectures on the Diseases of Infancy and Childhood”, published by Charles West .

1848	Dr Charles West working in a London dispensary began raising support and funding for the UK’s first ever children’s hospital known as Great Ormond Street.

1850	Children’s hospitals begin to open within the United Kingdom. However these hospitals initially only built for children from poor backgrounds as children from wealthy backgrounds would be nurses at home.

1851- 5	Infant mortality 156 per 1000.

1851	The population in England and Wales was given as 17•9 million, thirty five per cent aged less than 15 years and four per cent aged 65 or more. For the first time more people were recorded as living in towns than in rural areas.

1852	Great Ormond Street Hospital opens.

1853	Childhood Vaccinations begins with compulsory Smallpox vaccinations.

1854	Dr Charles West publishes How to Nurse Sick Children.

1859	Florence Nightingale publishes Notes on Nursing a year later she set up the first nurse’s training school at St. Thomas's Hospital.

1861-5	Infant mortality 151 per 1000.

1862	Manchester and Salford Ladies Health Society appointed the first "health visitors", to visit the poorer people and teach them the rules of health and childcare.

1867	Vaccination Act of 1867 consolidated and amended previous acts; making vaccination compulsory for all infants.

1868	First report of the Royal Commission on the Employment of Children, Young Persons and Women in Agriculture published.

1870	The Education Act of 1870 made school attendance for the under 13s compulsory.

	Thomas Barnardo open’s his first home for boys in Stepney Causeway.

1871-5	Infant mortality 153 per 1000.

1873	Agricultural Children’s Act of 1873 stated that children between the ages of 8 and 10 years could be employed in agriculture only if the parent signed a certificate stating that the child had completed 250 school attendances, and if the child was over ten 150 attendances in the preceding 12 months.

1874	Factory Act of 1874 raised the minimum working age to nine; limited the working day for women and young people to 10 hours in the textile industry, to be between 6 am and 6 pm; and reduced the working week to 56½ hours.

1880	Miss Catherine Wood a lady superintendant at Hospital for Sick Children (GOSH) establishes a formal training scheme for children’s nurses in the UK.

1881-5	Infant mortality 139 per 1000.

1884	The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) founded.

1887	Dr Robert Philip founded the first Tuberculosis Dispensary in the world.

	The Royal British Nurses' Association (RBNA) founded.

1888	The earliest record of community children's nurses found in the home based private nurses register.

1889	Police given power to arrest abusers/enter homes, working guidelines.

	Begging is made illegal.

	The first Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act was passed in 1889.

1891-5	Infant mortality 151 per 1000.

1893	London school Nurses Society Formed to Visiting poor boarding school pupils.

1894	Children able to testify in court, mental cruelty recognised, it becomes an offence to deny sick child treatment.

1900	Infant mortality 138 per 1000.

1901	At the end of the Queen Victoria's reign, laws had been passed to stop young children working in factories and as chimney sweeps.

1902	Midwives Act of 1902 - all midwifes undergo formal training and register with the Central Midwifes Board.

	Education Act of 1902. Local authorities given powers to provide secondary education.

1906	Education (provision of meals) Act of 1906 ensured that meals provided in school for children in deprived areas.

1907	Education Act of 1907 saw beginning of school medical inspections.

1908	Children’s Act of 1908 was the first comprehensive charter within the UK to protect children. It gave powers for the removal of children from undesirable situations; required the appointment of infant life protection visitors; specified procedures for placing children in the care of a "fit person"; established children’s courts and what later became remand homes; and regulated aspects of the employment of children.

	Juvenile courts introduced.

	Sex abuse in families becomes legal matter rather than church intervention.

	School health service established.

1910	Midwives Act of 1910 ensures that only certified midwives can attend childbirth.

1911-5	Infant mortality 110 per 1000.

1916	The College of Nursing [later the RCN] established.

1918	Maternity and Child Welfare Act of 1918 required local authorities to appoint a maternity and child welfare committee. To encourage the setting up of antinatal and child welfare clinics.

	Education Act of 1918 compulsory attendance in secondary school until the age of 14.

1919	Nurses Registration Act of 1919 inforces the set up of a register for nurses along with a supplementary register for children's nurses.

1921	Evelyn Margaret Hughes became the first Registered Sick Children’s Nurse (RSCN) admitted to the professional nursing register.

1921-5	Infant mortality 76 per 1000.

1924	League of nations adopts the First charter for childrens rights.

1931-5	Infant mortality 62 per 1000.

1933	Children and Young Persons Act of 1933 defined those in need of care and protection as 0-17 years.

1938		Watch a video of sunlight lamp therapy for childhood rickets (RealPlayer required) Help downloading

1939-45	During the Second World War the Childrens Society help set up 127 war nurseries for nearly 7,000 young children evacuated from Britain's bombed cities.	Listen to an audio clip of memories of rationing (RealPlayer required) Help downloading

1940	Diptheria Vaccine Introduced.

1941-5	Infant mortality 50 per 1000.

1945	Family Allowance Act of 1945 Dependent children under 15, those aged 15-18 and still in education, and older non-working children over 15 were provided for by Family Allowance and Child Tax Allowance.

1946	One third of children wards prohibit visiting.

	The Curtis Report on children 'deprived of a normal home life' was published, prompting a revolution in childcare. For the first time, children were acknowledged as the nation's responsibility. This report paved the way for the Children's Act of 1948, which placed the duty of caring for homeless children and those in need on local authorities.

1948	National Health Service formed.

	United Nations Convention Universal Declaration of Human Rights published.

1949	Bristol Royal hospital of sick children's permitted visiting hours twice weekly or daily depending on the sister’s discretion.

1950	Welfare clinics begin to be etablished throughout the UK.

1951-5	Infant mortality 27 per 1000.	Watch a video of family life (RealPlayer required)

1952	James and Joyce Robertson produce the Video "a Two year Old goes to Hospital" . Followed five years later by the video "Going to Hospital with Mother".

1953	Wartime rationing finishes.

1955	Infant mortality 30 per 1000.

	Combined SRN/RSCN training began.

1959	The Platt Report published.

	Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

1961-5	Infant mortality 21 per 1000.

1961	Routine tetanus immunisation introduced.

	Action for Sick Children formed under the name -Mother care for children in Hospital (MCCH).

1962	Training organisations established for both Health Visiting and Social Work.

1966	Mother care of children in Hospital (MCCH) achieved charitable status and changed their name to the National Association for the Welfare of Children In Hospital (NAWCH).

1968	Measles Vaccine Introduced.

1971-5	Infant mortality 17 per 1000.

1975	Child Benefit Act of 1975 From 1977, Child Benefit introduced (replaced Child Tax Allowance and Family Allowance). All children including the first born child were eligible up to the age of 16. Beyond that CB was only paid to those up to age 19 if they were in full-time education.

1976	The Court Report published.

1979	The Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act of 1979.

1981-5	Infant mortality 10 per 1000.

1982	The Helen House first children hospice opens.

1983	The United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) set up.

1986	Gillick Vs West Norfolk and Westbech Area health authority. The ruling from the case has had profound issues on how children are both treated re there competent to choose within society.

1988	MMR Vaccine Introduced.

	Dr Barnardo's charity changes it name to Barnardo's.

1989	The Children Act 1989.

	UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

1990	Within the late 1990's numerous reports into the care of children are published.

	Convention on the Rights of the Child 191 out of 193 have signed/ ratified UK signed in Dec 1991.

1991	National Association for the Welfare of Children In Hospital (NAWCH) changes it name to Action for Sick Children.

1991-5	Infant mortality 6 per 1000.

1996	The Children's Charter produced.

1998	Human Rights Act of 1998 incorporates provisions from the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law and aims to balance properly people's rights and responsibilities. When the Act comes into effect on 2 October 2000, the Convention Rights will be enforceable in the UK courts.

	The beginning of the 21st century continues to see reports into the care of children are published.

2001	Human Rights act of 1998 amended.

	The patient charter superceded by Your Guide to the NHS.

2002	Nursing and Midwifery Council formed replacing the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) .


	Please mail any comments about these pages to the Web Administrator This page created: 1 August 2002 This page last updated: 9 September, 2003 Copyright: Beryl Pearson and Rachel Sales, University of the West of England, Bristol, Faculty of Health and Social Care © 2003