Medical advances, NHS reorganisation and social change make the scenes in these old black and white photos almost unrecognisable to those used to the hospitals of the 2020s.
Yet the doctors, nurses and other staff all these decades ago had the same purpose as their counterparts today - to deliver the best possible care and treatment for their patients.
This selection of pictures from the Evening News archives capture the health service in the Capital 60 or 70 years ago.
When some of these pictures were taken the National Health Service was less than 10 or 20 years old. Have a look through this picture gallery and get a feel for the atmosphere of the time.
1. Matron at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Miss M F Cullen, matron of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in May 1967. | TSPL Photo: Albert Jordan
2. Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Extension to the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside, March 1965. | TSPL Photo: TSPL
3. Visit from Petula Clark
Singer Petula Clark in Edinburgh, December 1957, visiting children in hospital. | TSPL Photo: TSPL
4. Christmas at Sick Kids
Nurses at the Sick Children's Hospital in Edinburgh singing Christmas carols in December 1967. | TSPL Photo: Ian Brand