The Birth of Derriford
The first patients were transferred from Devonport Hospital on Friday 9 June 1981. The first patients were transferred up from Devonport hospital and later that day some patients arrived from Greenbank and Freedom Fields. The first male and female patients were presented with bouquets of flowers by staff.
The first phase of Derriford Hospital, which cost £22 million, involved the creation of a building which was 52,000 square metres in size. In 1981 only the main building was complete. The tower block was only a shell with no internal walls, part of floor seven and all of floor three were also only shell built with internal walls.
Leading up to the opening open days were held for the local population. In 14 consecutive days we showed 10,081 around the building taking them on conducted tours which took in the main entrance, chapel, wards, theatres kitchens etc.
As an example of how things have changed Unit Administrator at the time, Phil Sanders, told us: “ECG, as the current cardiology department was known, moved from Greenbank around this time. The department of course looked nothing like the current facility. It moved from two small rooms in a hut at Greenbank, in which the inside walls had been lined with chicken wire netting to try to reduce the effect of electrical currents from elsewhere on the very crude equipment.”
History of the Royal Eye Infirmary
Doctor John Butter conceived the idea of a hospital to treat eye diseases and on December 25th 1821, the Plymouth Eye Dispensary was opened in a house in Cornwall Street, Plymouth. In 1828 the HRH the Duke of Clarence, later King William IV, became its Patron and it became the Plymouth Royal Eye Infirmary. Initially there were only 4 beds for in-patients and the hospital was moved to a house in Millbay Road – on the site of the present Continental Hotel.
The Royal Eye Infirmary, as it stands today, was opened by Lady Mary Parker on Wednesday October 30th 1901. His Majesty King Edward VII consented to continue the Royal Patronage. It had cost £12,015 to erect the building and a further £1,680 to furnish it. The total expenditure came to £18,613 15s 4d. The building was designed in the later Renaissance style by Mr Charles King, the oldest member of the management committee, with the help of a Mr Lister. It was built of bright red brick with Doulton stone dressings, the roofs being covered with Brosely tiles.
The western wing contained the nurses' dining room, grocery and linen stores, and kitchen. The eastern wing held the dispensary, out-patients' waiting room, doctors' consulting room, a small operating room, an ophthalmoscopic room and steward's room were all in the eastern wing, with entrance and exit lobbies for out-patients. Over the main entrance was the main operating theatre, well lit with natural light. There were two wards on the first floor of each of the wings, one each for men and women. Each ward could accommodate fifteen patients. On the second floor was an isolation wing for patients with infectious diseases, and bedrooms for staff and servants.
Just before the Second World War the accommodation was increased by means of an extension on the east side for out-patients with wards above for private patients. Accommodation for nurses was provided in the roof.
History of Plymouth PCT
In 1962 the Porritt Report is published and results in Enoch Powell's Hospital Plan. The medical profession criticizes the separation of the NHS into three parts – hospitals, general practice and local health authorities – and calls for unification. The Hospital Plan approves the development of district general hospitals for population areas of about 125,000. In 1967 The Cogwheel Report highlights the efforts being made to reduce the disadvantages of the three-part NHS structure – hospitals, general practice and local health authorities – acknowledging the complexity of the NHS and the importance of change to meet future needs.
In 1990 the NHS and Community Care Act comes into being and the internal market is introduced, which means health authorities manage their own budgets. The Plymouth area health authorities is able manage its own budgets and buy healthcare from hospitals and other health organisations. In 1991 the first NHS Trusts are established.
New NHS Trusts will aim to encourage creativity and innovation and a health service that is increasingly focused on services in the community. In 1991 the Plymouth Area Health Authority became the Plymouth Community Services National Health Service Trust Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) was formed on 1 April 2001 from Plymouth Community Services NHS Trust and part of the South and West Devon Health Authority. The PCT gained Teaching PCT status in 2003.
Extract from www.plymouthdata.info
Brian Moseley's Plymouth Data Website