Can anyone remember what it was like before the N.H.S. started?.
My grandmother was living with us when she died in the late 40s
I do remember she was hospitalized for a short time after the war.
There were probably lots of house calles by the Doc.
What I vividly remeber was the woman who came each week to collect for the Dr's bill.
We lived on Parson Cross,the bus service did not extend to our area at this time ,but the 'Dr's woman' ,who had a pronounced limp came every week for the few pence my mother could afford ,to pay off the Dr's bill.
Our Dr was Panniker,who's office was at the end of Parson Cross Rd [I think] near the Wadsley bridge tram terminus.
I think his son took over the practice .
Does anyone relate to these times?

Yes.
I remember someone collecting 1 shilling (5p), I think every Friday to pay the Dr's fee. Our Dr was Dr Rogers from round London Rd. He used to visit us when we were ill and use my Mom's teaspoon handles instead of spatchelers, to press down the tongue to look at tonsils. Then my Mom paid the fee off wkly.
We always saw the same Dr which gave me confidence in him. I used to play in the gardenwith his children while my mom was waiting to see him.
Didn't have the same confidence in my children's Dr, as he turned me away once with a child with a head injury.

our doc in the 50s was in a house on Herries rd, we would just sit in his front room until he could see us, no idea how he got paid. funny I remember his name today, he was Dr Grundman.

My mum who died two years ago, always said that I was born "on't strap", she used to take 6d a week to a house on Shirebrook Road which was where the nurse lived, I think her name was nurse Stone, she also said that if the nurse was out on a confinement, her husband who was a sailor used to take all the details!!Lets not knock our NHS, things have improved since then.

Dr Roper practice was on Charlotte corner with St Mary Rd.

In the 1930 s - Whenever my Mum could afford it I remember taking one shilling (5p) to Dr Roper for the many house visit he made day or night and visit his practce whenever anyone was ill.

Then it was nine of us - Mum,Dad,2 boys and 5 girls,
those days was many illness - living in the slum back to back houses ( Trafalgar Street).

Dr Roper retired - the practice was run by the late Dr Linfoot,Dr Smilely(now retiredand Dr Collins still there in the new practice on Shoreham Street with other doctors.

I never knew of any one refuse medical treatment cos of no money before N.H.S.

Before N.H.S. there was a Penny in the Pound Scheme to get medical treatment for all the family. Begining of the N.H.S. that ended making way for Westfield Scheme of today.

I remember having a tooth taken out at a dentist in Club Garden Road cost one shilling and sixpence (7and ahalf p )
1946.

Before the war our family doctor was a Dr.Ryan whose surgery was on Ecclesall Road. He charged two shillings if you visited him, and half-a-crown if he visited you. And when I say ‘surgery’ I mean it. He once lanced a boil on my elbow without any anæsthetic! As far as I was concerned he was just having a look at it. Then he said something which distracted my attention for a second — and the knife was in! MInd you, the boil had been giving me some pain and of course the pain disappeared.
After that, I realised why he had two doors — one behind the other — for patients to enter the surgery. It was a form of sound-proofing, and it worked. Nobody in the waiting room heard me yell!

Before N.H.S. there was a Penny in the Pound Scheme to get medical treatment for all the family. Begining of the N.H.S. that ended making way for Westfield Scheme of today.


I remember the Penny in the Pound Scheme. It used to be a slogan/notice in red paint on the side of the ambulances: That's when the ambulances were a creme colour before the blue. Dont know what colour they are now.

There were other schemes for paying medical bills, such as the Friendly Societies . My parents were in one called "The National Deposit" but I don't remember every having to make a claim. My dad paid is contributions quarterly, on the appropriate Saturday afternoon in the school room at Talbot Street Methodist Church. I used to go with him and remember there was always a big line-up. We didn't live in the Park district but my dad grew up there. Therefore he knew most of the people in the line anyway and it was something of a social event. He still kept in the scheme, even after the NHS started in 1948 (?).

There was another thing called "The Sick and Divide", but I have no idea how this worked or what it covered.

Its all a long time ago.

The Penny in the Pound scheme also helped the hospitals — as did donations. Do you remember that built into one corner of the wall surrounding the Royal Infirmary there was a very large Donations Box? In today’s world some nasty little scrotes would have ripped it out and been off with the money.