Selly Oak Hospital
Hospital in Birmingham, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Selly Oak Hospital was a hospital situated in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham, England. Previously managed by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the hospital closed in 2011.
| Selly Oak Hospital | |
|---|---|
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | |
 Main entrance to Selly Oak hospital on Raddlebarn Road | |
  Shown in West Midlands | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Selly Oak, Birmingham, England |
| Coordinates | 52°26′13.31″N 1°56′13.60″W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | NHS |
| Type | Teaching |
| Affiliated university | University of Birmingham |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes |
| History | |
| Opened | 1897 |
| Closed | 2011 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Lists | Hospitals in England |
History
Origins
The site was originally selected for the construction of the new King's Norton Union Workhouse. This was a place for the care of the poor and was one of many workhouses constructed throughout the country following the introduction of the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.[1] The new workhouse, which was designed by Edward Holmes, was built on the site and opened in 1870.[2]
A workhouse infirmary, which was designed by Daniel Arkell to a pavilion plan and entirely lit by electric light, was built by Thomas Rowbotham of Small Heath at a cost of £45,000 and opened in September 1897.[2] It provided accommodation for about 300 patients.[2]
Expansion
A new entrance block was completed in 1902 and a large nurses' home which became known as Woodlands was completed in 1908.[2] The workhouse became a home for the chronically sick known as Selly Oak House and the home and the infirmary combined to join the National Health Service as Selly Oak Hospital in 1948.[3]
The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine was formed at the hospital and was officially opened by the Princess Royal in April 2001.[4]
In March 2007, the families of certain injured servicemen alleged that the hospital was not treating Iraq War veterans properly.[5] There were also reports of servicemen being verbally abused in the hospital by members of the public opposed to the war.[6] Following a visit to the hospital, Jeremy Clarkson added to the criticism by writing a complaint to the NHS alleging that injured servicemen had no dedicated ward and that they were treated no differently from "a lad who got drunk and smashed his Citroën into a tree".[7] A report published by the House of Commons Defence Select Committee blamed the allegations against the hospital on a smear campaign[8] and praised the clinical care provided to military patients.[9]
Closure and site redevelopment
On 23 May 2010 a 'Service of Thanks' was held at Selly Oak Hospital to celebrate a century of caring and to share memories of the facility.[10] After services had transferred to the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Selly Oak Hospital closed in October 2011.[11]
On 24 February 2015 the Trust announced that it had exchanged contracts with Persimmon for the sale of the site with outline planning permission for 650 homes.[12]
Notable staff
- Geoffrey Gillam FRCP (1905–1970) was a consultant cardiologist at the hospital.[13]
Notable patients
Those reported to have died at the hospital include:
- Simon Evans, author[14]
- Florence Camm, artist[15]
See also
References
External links
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