history of Northampton General Hospital

OUR HISTORY
N
orthampton is one of the oldest
towns in the country and in 1138 it
was one of the first towns to establish
a hospital – St John’s Hospital in Bridge
Street, established by Walter, Archdeacon
of Northampton.
St John’s Hospital was an alms house, giving
lodging to seven aged women plus a grant of
five shillings a week. The little chapel is still there
and its gardens extended east over the land
bought for the St John’s Railway station and
southwards to where the Plough Hotel is now
situated.
The sick, poor and needy had always been given
food and shelter in monasteries, but when these
were abolished by Henry VIII, there was no
provision for the sick.
There were comparatively few hospitals in the
country until the 18th century.
1743-1793 THE FIRST INFIRMARY
I
n April 1743 Dr James Stonhouse came to Northampton. A very religious
and conscientious person, he immediately began preaching the need to
have a hospital for the benefit of the sick and poor.
On 21st July 1743 a subscription list was opened and on 25th July 1743 the
Northampton Mercury reported that ‘On Thursday last the proposals for establishing a
County Hospital at Northampton were laid before the Grand Jury.’
The inaugural meeting was held on 20th September 1743 at the Red Lion. The
subscribers hoped to relieve the poor sick of Northampton and possibly ‘may prevent
from time to time many miserable objects from falling into the rapacious hands of
ignorant quacks and imposters.’
A large house was taken in George Row at a rental of £30 per annum and the Infirmary
was opened on Thursday 29th March 1744. The first patient admitted was a 13 year
old girl, Thomasin Grace of Stoke Bruerne, with a scald to the head. During its first five
months the infirmary saw 79 out-patients and 103 patients who occupied 30 beds.
The first Matron, Esther White, earned £13 per annum. Her duty was ‘To take care of all
household goods and furniture, to weigh and measure all provisions and necessaries that
come into the house, to keep a daily account thereof to be given in the Weekly Board
every Saturday and never suffer any of them to be carried out (of the hospital). She is
to always see the patients and servants take care of the wards, chambers, beds, clothes,
linen etc and everything within the hospital to be kept neat and clean to these ends. All
the patients and servants to be submissive and obedient to her.’
Patients were admitted on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the exception of
emergencies. This was to coincide with market day so that patients could be brought in
by cart from the surrounding villages. Local philanthropists would finance the patient’s
admission with ‘Hospital Letters of Recommendation’. In addition to this the sum of
15 shillings was paid as ‘caution money’ to cover the cost of the patient’s burial, should
a cure not be achieved.
By 1746 there was already a waiting list. In 1750 £750 was raised to increase the
capacity to 60 beds and in 1782 the house next door was purchased to increase the
number of beds.
In 1790 Dr William Kerr (Physician) started a campaign for a new hospital to be built. The
location of the George Row Infirmary was unsatisfactory. The combination of the noise of
the church bells, the traffic, and the town gaol next door was not considered suitable for
patients. £5,000 was raised by subscription to build a new hospital on the edge of town.
1793 – 1900 THE NEW INFIRMARY
L
and was purchased in Northampton Fields for £1,000
from the Rev Walter Griffiths of Gayton. There was
no road to it and the Governors purchased the right to
make a passable road from St Giles to their property
for £40.
The Infirmary was built with 114 beds at a cost of £15,000.
One wing was designated as a lunatic asylum.
On 20th July 1793 the Committee ordered that an
advertisement be put in the Northampton Mercury and St
James’s Chronicle stating that the new hospital would be open
for the reception of patients in September.
The new hospital proved expensive to run and on 24th May
1802 the Committee drew on their capital to meet running
expenses. On 10th April the Governors had given notice that no
more patients could be admitted until 1st May.
The population of the town continued to rise and on 25th June
1808 an advertisement was put in the papers that no more
patients could be accepted except accident cases owing to the
lack of accommodation.
In 1835 the number of beds was increased to cope with the
rise in accidents involving workers who were constructing the
London to Birmingham Express Railway.
The first anaesthetic was given (by a medical student) in
1847, only three months after the historic first anaesthetic
administered in Boston, Massachusetts.
More land was purchased in 1860 to protect the hospital from
the encroaching town development.
The proud boast in 1895 was that the new operating theatre
would have electric light.
1793 – 1900 THE NEW INFIRMARY
T
he new hospital had an apothecary, his pupil, a
matron, one porter, three maid-servants and four
nurses, one nurse to 25 patients day and night. From
the foundation of the hospital it had been assumed
that the matron would always be there. Occasionally
matrons asked for leave of absence for a few days,
but gradually they began to ask for a week or a
fortnight each year. In September 1838 the secretary
wrote to three or four different hospitals asking if
they usually allowed the house surgeon and matron
to have leave of absence every year.
Fit patients were expected to help in the Infirmary. However,
in March 1842 the porter was instructed that he was only to
allow patients to help in the dispensary when he could watch
them. The wines and spirits were kept in the dispensary and
they had disappeared at an alarming rate.
In 1859 patients were allowed tea and bread and butter for
breakfast instead of porridge, but the staple diet of beer and
beef continued. In one week in 1857, 550lbs of meat were
consumed by the patients and staff (weekly average 119llbs).
The Infirmary was so crowded that on 23rd October 1847
the Rev Henry Crawley, acting as house visitor, reported that
two patients had been placed in each of the four beds in the
men’s wards.
The hospital was extended in 1872 with the addition of two
wings to the south front and extra accommodation was built
on to the south end of each wing.
In 1887 it was decided to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee
by building a new wing on to the hospital. The new wing,
containing a children’s ward with ten beds, a day room for
female patients and new dormitories for the nurses was
completed and opened on 21st May 1889 by the Mayor.
SOME INTERESTING EXTRACTS FROM EARLY MINUTES
Here’s a few extracts from the minutes of the Weekly Committee that met to run the hospital between 1745 and 1773.
22nd June 1745
Dr Stonhouse complained of the ventilation in the wards – ordered that they be ventilated three times a day,
‘a whirling windmill to be put up to show that they were duly ventilated.’
21st March 1746
The Secretary reported that there were 56 windows in the house, of which 7 could be blocked up to reduce the
amount of the proposed window tax, if such tax was ‘chargeable upon houses of this kind.’
1746 Report
NB For the satisfaction of the curious the governors have thought proper to acquaint the public that from the most exact and
minute calculations made at Winchester, Exeter, York and Northampton Infirmary, the weekly expense of drugs for each patient
upon an average is about 9d and the whole accommodation of an in-patient per week upon an average with drugs, lodgings, diet,
attendance, etc may be estimated one year with another at about 6 shillings so that as every in patient is computed to stay in the
hospital about twelve weeks, the whole expense of an in-patient must stand the governors in £3 12s 0d.
5th September 1747
William Bond recommended by Mr Hanbury as an in-patient, but it was ‘thought expedient to make him an out-patient and
allow him a shilling a week towards his subsistence in the town as he lived more than ten miles away.’
10th February 1753
Ordered one and a half dozen chairs at 13d per chair.
19th May 1753
Ann Lavender sent back being lousy, is to be admitted as soon as she is sent again if clean and wholesome.
4th October 1755
The porter paid £4 12s for eleven months wages and £1 gratuity, ‘having behaved himself well.’
25th October 1755
The new porter was offered £4 per annum plus £2 gratuity. ‘William Shield being recommended for a porter was called in and
insisting on £5 per annum wages plus £3 gratuity, the committee thought it too great an advance and did not agree with him.’
15th November 1755
Mr Dicey, the owner of the Mercury, agreed with Dr Stonhouse to insert articles of news (for the hospital) occasionally gratis.
6th November 1756
Thomas King, our present porter, being called in agreed to continue in his place another year upon the same terms as last,
only with the addition of the advantage of the dung, he to supply what is wanted for the garden.
13th February 1773
Ordered that matron do purchase two or three hundredweight of raisins at the cheapest rate she can to make wine for the patients.
1900 - 1918 HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENTS & WORLD WAR I
I
n 1902 work started on a new wing was built
(Crockett Block) which had isolation wards and
a small theatre for septic cases.
In 1903 the name of the Institution was changed from
the Northampton General Infirmary to the Northampton
General Hospital and the first Board of Management was
elected on 28th November 1903.
By 1904 the laundry and the central heating and lifts had
been converted from being hand operated to electrically
operated.
In December 1911 it was agreed that a memorial to King
Edward VII would be placed on the left-hand side of the
hospital gate.
The outbreak of the First World War had a profound effect
on the running of the hospital. All the male doctors were
enlisted to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps and
female resident doctors filled their posts for the duration
of the war.
On 11th August 1914 fifty beds were offered to the
military and naval authorities for casualties but it was
decided that the beds would not be kept vacant until
required. At the quarterly court on 6th February 1915 it
was stated that 104 sick and wounded soldiers had been
received into the wards since the last quarterly court and
117 had been admitted to the wards since the troops
were first billeted in the town. To meet the demand the
number of beds had been increased from 182 to 192.
In April 1915 it was decided to erect wooden pavilions
to accommodate the war casualties and the Board Room
was converted into a recreation room for their use. The
last wounded solder was discharged on 28th February
1919 and one of the pavilions was taken over for
orthopaedic and out-patient pensioners.
1918 - 1948 THE ERA OF SHOE BARONS & PHILANTHROPISTS
T
he hospital was, and still is, supported by a number of local
benefactors. During the first half of the 20th century the
Hospital Week Committee became an extremely important source
of income for the General Hospital. They celebrated their jubilee
by a special appeal for funds to build the two new operating
theatres which were formally opened by Mrs Harry Manfield on
26th October 1929.
In 1918 George Hawkins gave £3,000 to build a new pathology laboratory.
The laboratory opened on 1st April 1920 and the cost of £6,557.17 was
entirely met by Mr Hawkins.
In 1919 Councillor James Gribble MP started the Northampton Hospital and
Convalescent Fund (later known as ‘The Gribble Fund’) to build on the great
success of the Allied War Fund which raised almost £40,000 through weekly
subscription during the preceding four years.
Sir James Crockett was a generous benefactor and supporter of the hospital
who made a number of donations to help fund extensions and improvements
during the 1920s and 1930s.
In 1929 Mrs J G Sears donated £5,000. £3,000 was to be allocated for the
purchase of radium and £2,000 for the endowment of two beds.
Mr & Mrs Barratt donated £20,000 to build a maternity wing. The Barratt
Maternity Home was opened in 1936 and the gynaecological block in 1938.
Shortly after opening the Barratt Maternity Home was recognised as a
midwives training school. Accommodation for nurses became an extremely
pressing subject and the new nurses’ home, built in 1938, was opened on
19th October 1939 by the Duchess of Gloucester.
In September 1932 the Hospital Guild scheme was started. This was a
contributory scheme allowing people not subscribing weekly to hospitals
through their factories or places of work to make an annual contribution to
cover their medical expenses in case of sickness. The upper income limit was
£250 per annum.
On 25th March 1947 it was reported that the hospital showed an overall
financial deficit of £138,000. It was pointed out that asking contributors
to pay 6d per week would bring in an extra £45,000 per annum but there
seemed little point with the National Health takeover in the offing. A War
Memorial Appeal fund had been launched on behalf of the hospital and raised
£100,000 by January 1946 and the committee controlling the fund offered to
lend the hospital £20,000 at 2½% to save bank overdraft charges. Ultimately
the deficit was taken over by the State and the War Memorial Appeal, which
had risen to almost £200,000, helped to fund the new out-patient block.
1948 - 1970s THE NHS AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS
T
he last meeting of the Board of Governors was held
on 26th June 1948. Mr S G Hill was made Group
Secretary on 5th July 1948 and had the responsibility
of organising the hospital administration in accordance
with the rules of the State.
With the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948
the system of ‘Hospital Letters’ and subscriptions ended. The
hospital continued to grow in response to the needs of the local
community, as well as developments in medicine and treatments
available.
On 25th October 1956 HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
laid the foundation stone of the new out-patient building and
accident wards.
Extra land was purchased in the 1960s to allow further expansion
of the hospital. Phase 1 opened in 1972, followed by Phase 2 in
1982.
Again the hospital benefited from generous benefactors. In March
1960 Mr H Talbot Butler announced that the Barratt bequest,
of which he was a trustee, amounted to £285,000. Part of this
bequest (£100,000) funded the new radiotherapy department
which was opened in November 1962 by Sir George Godber.
In May 1967 the intensive therapy unit, which was built on the
site of the old deep x-ray therapy unit, was opened.
Sir Cyril and Mr Humphrey Cripps and The Cripps Foundation
funded a Post-Graduate Medical Centre in 1967, followed by the
Cripps Social Centre in 1974.
1980s TO THE PRESENT DAY
N
orthampton General Hospital still
occupies the site purchased in 1793,
which has grown over the intervening
years. The hospital now has more than
600 beds on a 44 acre site. More than
4,000 people work at the hospital and the
turnover is in excess of £190 million.
There have been many developments over the
past 30 years as the hospital has evolved to keep
pace with the needs of patients and developments
in medicine and technology. In 1980 the hospital
got its first linear accelerator. The first CT scanner
arrived in 1988 and in 1989 the new limb centre
opened.
In 1993 the hospital was granted Trust status
and became an NHS Trust on 1st April 1994. The
MRI unit opened in 1995 and the new integrated
surgery unit opened in 1996.
The new oncology centre was opened by Earl
Spencer in 2001 and in 2002 work started on a
new theatre and day case development.
In 2004 the first of three new linear accelerators
arrived on site and in 2005 new student
accommodation and a new library were opened in
the new William Kerr building.
The new radiotherapy unit was opened in 2006.
Built on the site of the old hospital chapel of
St Luke, the building is known as the Luke
Radiotherapy Centre.
The Northampton Heart Centre and Northampton
Kidney Centre opened in 2008, along with a new
nuclear medicine facility, and were visited by HRH
The Duchess of Gloucester when she came to NGH
to open the new PALS and Bereavement Suite, the
Evelyn Centre, in 2009.
New day surgery facilities opened in 2010
and plans are being developed to improve the
haematology outpatients department, radiology,
EAU, A&E and the fracture clinic during 2010/11.
AN EARLY AMBULANCE
T
his Napier ambulance was purchased from public
subscription in April 1913 and was named after the
Mayor, Councillor Harvey Reeves.
D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engine and pre-Great War
automobile manufacturer based in Acton, West London, and one
of the most important aircraft engine manufacturers in the early
to mid-20th century.
The 20 horsepower vehicle was bought from Frank Newton of St
Giles Terrace and was capable of 40 miles an hour. It was finished
in dark blue paintwork, lined in black and white. The interior was
finished in white velour.
The Napier was in service until September 1929. During its
lifetime it had covered 50,000 miles and transported 5,000
patients.
KING EDWARD VII’S MEMORIAL
D
esigned by Sir George Frampton,
the memorial cost £1,200, which
was raised by public subscription.
Sir George Frampton was a notable British
sculptor and leading member of the New
Sculpture movement. Among his notable
public sculptures are the figures of Peter Pan
in Kensington Gardens, the lions at the British
Museum and the Edith Cavell monument that
stands outside the National Portrait Gallery,
London
The statue of King Edward VII is surmounted by a
bronze figure which represents St George killing
the dragon of disease.
The memorial was surrounded by a 13 foot high
hoarding until the day it was unveiled on 20th
September 1913.
Three days later King George V and Queen Mary
visited Northampton, whilst attending army
manoeuvres. The King asked to visit his father’s
memorial and a detour was made to Cheyne Walk
so that his request could be fulfilled.