Organised emergency medical services in the United States are a relatively recent development. Prior to 1967, emergency medicine was uncoordinated, inefficient and frequently of poor overall quality. Patients were transported to the hospital by ambulances that in a many cases were owned by funeral homes. Funeral homes had vehicles that were able to accommodate a stretcher but were not configured for ongoing patient care. Ambulance attendants had little training beyond basic first aid. Hospital care was not much better. Patients were usually taken to the closest facility regardless of the capabilities of the hospital. The doctor on duty usually had no formal training in emergency medicine. In many cases, the doctor was assigned as the "on-call" doctor for the day and did not work full time in the department. One day might find practitioner on duty, the next a psychiatrist or pathologist providing care during the critical early hours of a serious illness or injury.