Heavitree hospital

Last updated
Heavitree Hospital
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Heavitree) - geograph.org.uk - 1638626.jpg
Entrance of the hospital in 2009
Devon UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Devon
Geography
Location Heavitree, Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates 50°43′29″N3°30′51″W / 50.72468°N 3.5143°W / 50.72468; -3.5143
Organisation
Care system Public NHS
History
Opened1701
Links
Lists Hospitals in England

The Heavitree Hospital (currently branded as the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Heavitree)) is a hospital currently operated by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, as a satellite site of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital with its main site a short distance away at Wonford. The hospital started as the Exeter Workhouse, and was also known as the Exeter City Hospital.

Contents

History

Exeter Workhouse

Since 1667, there had been a workhouse for the poor in Exeter, endowed by the Canon John Bury of St Mary Major church, and in the parish of St Sidwell. [1]

In 1698, parliament passed the Poor Law Act, and Exeter was one of the first cities to respond, creating a corporation for the relief of the poor. This corporation purchased and closed the St Sidwell workhouse, replacing it at a new site on the London Road at Heavitree. Work started on the building in 1699, and the new building opened in 1701, [2] with the whole site finished by 1707. [1]

The building was two stories and an attic, arranged with a central chapel and wings extended at each side, along with a central cupola and clock. [1] [2]

There were around 200 inmates at the facility [2] who were put to work

First incarnation of the Exeter City Hospital

In 1741, the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (RD&E) was founded at Southernhay, in the city centre, and at the behest of local land owners and clergy, the workhouse was renamed to Exeter City Hospital, operating in competition to the RD&E hospital. [1]

The hospital opened with forty beds and £100 annual funding from the corporation. [1]

This was not a success, and by 1754, the hospital closed due to lack of funds, and with patients preferring the RD&E. The complex reverted to being a workhouse.

Expanding medical facilities

With a growth in demand, from 1821, the workhouse started treating fever cases from across the city, as well as providing maternity facilities. To cope with this, a number of additional buildings were added up until 1858. [1]

In 1877, the corporation was dissolved and became a Poor Law Union. By 1894, the city council has ceased its formal involvement. [2]

The medical side continued to grow, beyond the needs of the workhouse itself, and it had a large hospital facility to the north of the main workhouse building. [2]

New infirmary

In 1905, a new infirmary was built at the north of the site with four blocks - an administration building, men's and women's blocks at the east and west, and a single-story maternity block. [2] A fifth block for the treatment of tuberculosis was planned, but never built. [1]

A children's home was added on the site at the South-East of the site in 1913, facing the Heavitree road. [2]

Second incarnation of the Exeter City Hospital

In 1939, the workhouse once again became the Exeter City Hospital. [2]

Bombing during the Second World War in 1942 [1] extensively damaged the original 1700s workhouse buildings, and destroyed the male ward of the new infirmary. [2] The rest of the new infirmary remained standing, and forms part of the modern hospital. The children's home also survived, and was part of the hospital until sale and conversion to student accommodation in the 2010s.

On 5 July 1948, the City Hospital joined the newly formed National Health Service. [1]

A fire broke out at the hospital on 13 February 1970, [3] in the Seward ward, [4] killing five people. [5] This caused the South Western Regional Hospital Board to make changes at other hospitals, particularly in relation to the material of beds and bedding. [6]

Merger with Royal Devon and Exeter

Eventually, the hospital merged with former competitor, the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital, which was relocated to its new site at Wonford in the 1970s, only a short distance from Heavitree.

The hospital is now part of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. [7]

The South West portion of the site was sold to the John Lewis Partnership, who demolished the buildings and built a stand-alone Waitrose store, which opened on 6 October 2011. [8]

Services

The hospital now operates as a satellite of the main Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital at the nearby Wonford, offering a range of services including: [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whittington Hospital</span> NHS hospital in London

Whittington Hospital is a district general and teaching hospital of UCL Medical School and Middlesex University School of Health and Social Sciences. Located in Upper Holloway, it is managed by Whittington Health NHS Trust, operating as Whittington Health, an integrated care organisation providing hospital and community health services in the north London boroughs of Islington and Haringey. Its Jenner Building, a former smallpox hospital, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southmead Hospital</span> Hospital in Bristol, England

Southmead Hospital is a large public National Health Service hospital, situated in the area of Southmead, though in Horfield ward, in the northern suburbs of Bristol, England. It is part of the North Bristol NHS Trust. The 800-bed Brunel Building opened in May 2014, to provide services, which transferred from Frenchay Hospital in advance of its closure. The hospital site covers 60 acres (24 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Manchester General Hospital</span> Hospital in England

North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) is a large NHS hospital in Crumpsall, North Manchester, England. It is operated by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. There is an accident and emergency unit, together with a maternity unit, high dependency unit and a mental health wing. A plan to rebuild the hospital was announced by Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election campaign, and in November 2020 a £54 million funding bid for improvement works was made by the Trust, Manchester City Council, and Manchester Health and Care Commissioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selly Oak Hospital</span> Hospital in Birmingham, England

Selly Oak Hospital was situated in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham, England. Previously managed by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the hospital closed in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Middlesex University Hospital</span> Hospital in England

West Middlesex University Hospital (WMUH) is an acute NHS hospital in Isleworth, West London, operated by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It is a teaching hospital of Imperial College School of Medicine and a designated academic health science partner. West Middlesex University Hospital serves patients in the London Boroughs of Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames and Ealing. The hospital has over 400 beds and provides a full range of clinical services including accident and emergency, acute medicine, care of the elderly, surgery and maternity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast City Hospital</span> University teaching hospital providing local acute services and key regional specialities

The Belfast City Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a 900-bed modern university teaching hospital providing local acute services and key regional specialities. Its distinctive orange tower block dominates the Belfast skyline being the third tallest habitable storeyed building in Northern Ireland. It has a focus on the development of regional cancer and renal services. It is managed by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and is the largest general hospital in the United Kingdom. In April 2020, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the tower block was designated one of the UK's Nightingale Hospitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital</span> Hospital in England

The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, and with a main site sometimes known as Wonford Hospital, is a large teaching hospital situated in Exeter, Devon, England, and is run by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leicester General Hospital</span> Hospital in England

Leicester General Hospital (LGH) is a National Health Service hospital located in the suburb of Evington, about three miles east of Leicester City Centre, and is a part of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. It has approximately 430 beds. The hospital is the largest employer in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham City Hospital</span> Hospital in Nottingham, England

Nottingham City Hospital is a large hospital located in Nottingham, England. It occupies a large 90-acre (360,000 m2) site on the ring road to the North of the city centre. It is composed of many buildings, most of which are joined by long corridors. Buildings include a leisure club, a Maggies Centre for people with cancer, and a patient hotel. It is managed by the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Hospital Lewisham</span> Hospital in England

University Hospital Lewisham is a teaching hospital run by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and serving the London Borough of Lewisham. It is now affiliated with King's College London and forms part of the King's Health Partners academic health science centre. It is situated on Lewisham High Street between Lewisham and Catford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Royal University Hospital</span> Hospital in England

Princess Royal University Hospital or PRUH is a large acute district general hospital situated in Locksbottom, near Farnborough, in the London Borough of Bromley. It is managed by King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Hospital, Dorset</span> Hospital in Dorset, United Kingdom

Christchurch Hospital is run by the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. It is located in Fairmile in Christchurch, Dorset, England. The hospital was managed by The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust until the merger with Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on 1 October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Tyneside District Hospital</span> NHS hospital

South Tyneside District Hospital is a healthcare facility providing healthcare services for South Shields, Jarrow, Hebburn, Boldon, Cleadon and Whitburn. It is managed by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southlands Hospital</span> Hospital in West Sussex, England

Southlands Hospital is a medical facility based in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England, which serves people living in Shoreham itself as well as Worthing and other towns and villages along the south coast and in the inland areas of West Sussex. It is managed by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. The building is served by Brighton & Hove bus routes 2, 59, 59A and 98.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clatterbridge Hospital</span> Hospital in Merseyside, England

Clatterbridge Hospital is a general hospital located on Clatterbridge Health Park in Bebington, Wirral, England. It is managed by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster Memorial Hospital</span> Hospital in Dorset, United Kingdom

The Westminster Memorial Hospital is a small community hospital in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England. It provides about 20 in-patient beds, a minor injuries department, a range of out-patient clinics and other support services. It opened in 1874.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston Hospital</span> Hospital in London, England

Kingston Hospital is an acute hospital in Kingston upon Thames, England. It is managed by the Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It has an Accident & Emergency Unit, a popular midwife-led Maternity unit, and an STD clinic known as the Wolverton Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonford House Hospital</span> Hospital in England

Wonford House Hospital, also previously known as the Wonford House Asylum and Exe Vale Hospital is a building built as an 'asylum for lunatics', and which has continued to provide mental health care, now being the headquarters building of the Devon Partnership NHS Trust, and housing a number of mental health units in the grounds.

Whipton Hospital is a small community hospital, also known as the Exeter Community Hospital (Whipton). It was founded as the Whipton Isolation Hospital in 1913 as a pulmonary tuberculosis sanatorium as part of a network of such facilities, instigated by the Public Health (Tuberculosis Regulations) 1912.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Cornforth, David (2018-09-19). "Heavitree Workhouse". Exeter Memories.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Exeter,Devon". The workhouse... the story of an institution.
  3. ↑ "Fire victim No 3". The People. 1970-02-15.
  4. ↑ "Two die, five hurt in fire at hospital". Birmingham Daily Post. 1970-02-14.
  5. ↑ "Fire finding". Birmingham Daily Post. 1970-10-24.
  6. ↑ "Tighten up fire control in hospitals". Shepton Mallet Journal. 1970-10-30.
  7. 1 2 "Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Heavitree)". Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
  8. ↑ "Exeter 702". Waitrose Memory Store. 21 September 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.