Until the end of the 18th century there was no veterinary service at all in the British Army. Farriers, contracted by the British government, were responsible for shoeing Army horses and providing medicine and general care.

Brigadier Hugh Llewellyn Glyn Hughes (1892–1973) was an officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps. During 1945

Louisa Jane Wilkinson (nee Lumsden), played a significant role in shaping healthcare and nursing practice through her dedicated service between 1914 and 1948.

A Tribute to Dame Margot Turner.

Medical organisation within the British Army can be traced back to 1660 and the formation of the Standing Regular Army, when each regiment of infantry and cavalry was accompanied by a Regimental Surgeon and his assistant.

Although a formal military nursing service did not exist in the army prior to the late 19th century, nursing care was provided to the army during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) and the Civil Wars of the 1640s when Parliament employed nurses at the three military hospitals in London.

At the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War there was no provision made for dental treatment for the armed forces. Over 2,000 men were evacuated back to the UK on dental grounds whilst almost 5,000 were unfit for duty in the field because of the lack of denture.