George armstrong was a pioneer in health care for children, says jeremy jolley

George Armstrong (1719-1789) gave us the first children’s dispensary. In most cases, the children’s dispensary resembled an outpatient department and was a forerunner of the children’s hospital. Armstrong’s work seems strangely topical today because his model of health care was ‘community’ based and appeared to acknowledge the psychological needs of sick children. Armstrong developed a system of healthcare delivery that survived for 150 years. By the middle of the 19th century most British cities had a children’s dispensary. Today, high street pharmacies are beginning to play a role similar to that imagined by Armstrong. Between the Calpol and the Sanatogen you can now see your friendly pharmacist in private and obtain a review of your prescription.