Frenchay Hospital
| Frenchay Hospital | |
| North Bristol NHS Trust | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Frenchay Hospital, middle entrance | |
 Shown in Bristol
|
|
| Geography | |
| Location | Frenchay, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°29′52″N 2°31′30″W / 51.4977°N 2.5249°WCoordinates: 51°29′52″N 2°31′30″W / 51.4977°N 2.5249°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public NHS |
| Hospital type | District General |
| Affiliated university | University of Bristol, Faculty of Health and Social Care University of West of England |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes Accident & Emergency |
| History | |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.nbt.nhs.uk |
| Lists | Hospitals in England |
Frenchay Hospital is a large hospital situated in Frenchay, South Gloucestershire, on the north east outskirts of Bristol, England. It is part of the North Bristol NHS Trust.
Contents |
[edit] History
The hospital, situated in the grounds of a Georgian mansion, Frenchay Park,[1] started life as a TB hospital (Frenchay Park Sanatorium) in 1921, when Bristol Corporation acquired the land. In 1931, five purpose-built buildings were constructed to extend the hospital beyond the original house.
Concerns about the possibility of heavy bombing casualties led to the hospital being greatly expanded between 1938 and early 1942. Although Bristol was severely bombed, the new facilities remained unused.[2]
When US forces arrived in 1942, the city handed the new hospital facilities over to the Americans, as a sort of reverse Lend-Lease. The initial units of the Medical Corps were the 2nd and 77th Evacuation Hospitals and the 152nd Station Hospital. Further expansion to the facilities including 27 wards, occurred in late 1942 and it was occupied by the 298th General Hospital. Initially, the Americans used the hospital mainly as training facility for their medical staff. After D-Day, however, the hospital was used in earnest, the processing of casualties becoming a very slick operation under the control of the 100th and then 117th General Hospitals. Casualties were flown into Filton or arrived by train from the channel ports. Between 5 August and 31 December 1944 a total of 4,954 patients were discharged from Frenchay.[3]
Although the Frenchay Tuberculosis hospital operated as a separate unit throughout the war, the patients were transferred elsewhere in 1947.
After World War II, the Americans handed the hospital back to the Corporation. The National Health Service acquired the hospital in 1948.
Over the last 60 years or so, the hospital facilities have been slowly modernized, but many wartime buildings are still very much in evidence.
Frenchay is served by local charity Freewheelers EVS, whose volunteers provide a free-of-charge motorcycle courier service between Frenchay, Southmead and other hospitals in the area.
[edit] Future
Frenchay Hospital is due to be downsized so the main Trust hospital will be at Southmead Hospital. The hospital has extensive grounds which would be sold off were this to happen. There is however a Save Frenchay Hospital campaign that is fronted by Steve Webb, the Member of Parliament for the Northavon constituency that includes Frenchay. The campaign's main arguments are that Frenchay Hospital affords greater possibility for expansion than the Southmead site and that emergency access is easier due to its proximity to the motorway with less traffic.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ "Sisters' House (formerly known as Frenchay Park)". Images of England. English Heritage. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=408510. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ "80 Years of Healing at Frenchay Hospital". Frenchay Village Museum. http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/ad629/hospital.html. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ Wakefield, Ken (1994). Operation Bolero: The Americans in Bristol and the West Country 1942-45. Crecy Books. pp. 102-104. ISBN 0947554513.
- ^ "Save Frenchay Hospital Group". Save Frenchay Hospital Group. http://www.savefrenchayhospital.co.uk/. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
[edit] External links
- North Bristol NHS Trust - official hospital website
- The History of Frenchay Hospital - Written by James Briggs
