LOCAL people turned out in force last weekend to highlight their concerns about proposed cuts to hospital services.

Health services and welfare provision will always evolve for better or for worse, and Bromsgrove has certainly seen many changes during the last 200 years.

In 1820, five surgeons, named Blackford, Collett, Cowell, Haines and Horton, all of whom had premises in the High Street, provided medical services. Patients were generally treated at home.

When Bromsgrove suffered an outbreak of cholera in 1849, a former mill at Watt Close was used as a temporary hospital.

Doctor Thomas Fletcher worked to contain the disease by introducing practices such as fumigating victims' homes.

One of the worst affected areas within the town was Holy Lane (the present day Church Street).

Mary Ann Gorman, a resident of Holy Lane, was buried within a few hours of her death and chloride of lime and hydrochloric acid were put in the coffin, which contained not only her body but also contaminated clothes and other items.

Between July and October 25 people died of the disease.

Bromsgrove's first Cottage Hospital opened in January 1878. Builders Brazier and Weaver converted three almshouses at Mount Pleasant, in Stratford Road, which was then called Alcester Road.

The hospital had an operating theatre, which was made by taking down a nailshop, rebuilding it and adding a glass roof. Mr J Elkington, of Willow Terrace, donated surgical instruments.

In 1891 a new purpose built Cottage Hospital was opened on the corner of New Road and Ednall Lane on the site now occupied by Nailers' Court.

Before the founding of the National Health Service, the Cottage Hospital received much of its income from donations and fundraising.

A Charity Ball held in 1897 raised £140 9s 6d. In November 1900, the Chief Constable's Office in Birmingham sent two guineas 'in grateful recognition of the many kindnesses shown to Detective Sergeant Frank Drinkwater, when he was a patient of your hospital.'

Anyone following the story of Bromsgrove firefighter Simon Hawkins will surely agree that today's prosthetic limbs are masterpieces of engineering. How things have moved on since 1907 when the following was recorded in the Cottage Hospital minute book.

'Mr F Holyoake proposed and Mr Townsend seconded that Ben Halfpenny be provided with a peg leg.'

In 1928 the hospital records gave ' thanks to the editor of the Bromsgrove Messenger and a member of the committee for their assistance in getting together the money for a new wireless set.'

Shortly before the outbreak of war in 1939, the county council allowed the Ministry of Health to lease land at All Saints' to build a hospital for 550 patients and 150 resident staff.

Later in the war, the hospital was used by the United States for its service personnel.

After the war control of the site reverted to the county council which decided to extend the site and provide a modern general hospital.

The Rt HonHilary Marquand MP, Minister of Health, opened the extensions in August 1951. Every patient in the 291-bed hospital had their own bedside wireless and staff were able to watch television when not on duty.

Whatever the future holds for the health and welfare of the people of Bromsgrove and district you will probably find, should you have to stay overnight in hospital that adjacent to your bed there is not only a wireless radio set but a telephone, a television and internet access.