League of Friends of North Walsham War Memorial Hospital

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Hospital History

Founding

Ninety-nine North Walsham men made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War – along with another 80 from a dozen neighbouring parishes.
The losses in the villages were: Trunch (14), Bacton (10), Gimingham (10), Walcott (7), Felmingham (6), Edingthorpe (6), Bradfield (6), Swanton Abbot (6), Swafield (5), Witton (4), Westwick (3), Antingham (3).
In 1919 a public meeting at North Walsham, chaired by local magistrate John Dixon agreed to establish a Cottage Hospital to honour the memory of the North Walsham men. The surrounding parishes were also asked to join the initiative and 12 agreed.

Funding

Building cost was estimated at £4,000, and an endowment fund of £4,000 was required. The response to the appeal for subscriptions was excellent.
A one acre site was given by Mrs. John Wilkinson of The Oaks. (The large house which used to be where Lidl’s now stands).
September 1919, the foundation stone was laid by Lady Suffield. The building was delayed until 1923.
The architect was Mr. Williamson, and the builders were Messrs. William Mace (£3,796) (This firm was still in existence up to a few years ago and was eventually taken over by Bullens).

Opening

1924 The Hospital was opened in August by Her Highness Princess Marie Louise. Of the £8,700 total, North Walsham had contributed £7,185 with the rest coming from the 12 surrounding parishes.

Opening of North Walsham War Memorial Hospital

The original hospital comprised two single private wards and two public wards with three beds each, an operating theatre and offices.

Operating Theatre at North Walsham Hospital

North Walsham Hospital - nurse, patient and doctor

Extensions were added in the second year. A Sterilising Room; X-Ray Room (Built by the local branch of the Sunday & Saturday Fund for £120); “John Dixon Emergency Ward” was provided and furnished by Mr. John Dixon for £200; Wireless set, with headphones for all the patients was installed and a bed was endowed in memory of the 1st./6th. Norfolks, by the Battalion stationed at North Walsham during the War. A tablet recording the endowment , was fixed over the bed paid for by Col. Prior.

A private ward in North Walsham Hospital

North Walsham Hospital Ward

Land Conveyance

1926/27 a further gift was made to the Trustees by Mr John Dixon conveying a 5-acre plot of land adjoining the Hospital garden, and was subject to the restriction that no building could be erected on the south part and it could not be used for any purpose that could cause a nuisance to patients and staff.

North Walsham War Memorial Cottage Hospital drawing

1927-28 electric power was installed and X-Ray rooms completed provided by the Sunday and Saturday Fund costing £450, and a Mr R.T. Booty gave a special gift of £500 for upkeep of grounds.

The X-Ray Room at North Walsham Hospital

1928-29 Hot and cold water installed in the wards along with sluice rooms.

1931-32 A gift of land at Bacton enabled bathing facilities for hospital staff.

North Walsham War Memorial Cottage Hospital 1935
1935-36 Two main wards lengthened, and a reception room and children’s ward of three cots added.

1935-36 Two main wards lengthened, and a reception room and children’s ward of three cots added.

1937-38 A cooker and water softening equipment added. The number of patients admitted over the year was 400, from 45 different parishes. Average stay was 13 days. Weekly cost of each bed was £2 13s 6d.

Transfer to National Health Service

1947 The NHS took over all community hospitals including North Walsham and any covenants etc. were made void.

North Walsham War Memorial Cottage Hospital

Formation of The League of Friends

1949 On January 27th, following a meeting in the St. Nicholas Rooms, chaired by Mr N J A Griston, it was decided to form a League of Friends of North Walsham & District War Memorial Cottage Hospital.

League of Friends of North Walsham and District War Memorial Cottage Hospital

League of Friends of North Walsham and District War Memorial Cottage Hospital

Closure Threats

1985 The Hospital came under threat of closure, including the Maternity Ward. The threat was that a new Mental Health facility was required. The Friends and members of SOBBS (Save Our Baby Beds) held a public meeting at the Community Centre with representatives of the then Health Authority and although the Maternity Unit was lost we managed to retain the hospital, due to our bringing to the authority’s notice that there was land they owned to the rear of the hospital. Since the above there have been many attempts to close the hospital but we have managed to fight them off.

Save Our Baby Beds - SOBBS

2006 The former North Norfolk Primary Care Trust came up with the idea of transferring the hospital to the vacated Rebecca House Mental Health Unit and also had the idea of creating a Centre of Clinical Excellence on the remainder of the site. This would have included Doctors Surgeries and various other health-related units. When the new Norfolk PCT was formed, this project was put on hold indefinitely.

Save our Baby Beds

2006/2007 – The hospital was in a situation where, yet again, we had to fight to save our hospital as we know it. The Norfolk PCT proposed that the hospital should be “bed free”. The Friends decided to join forces with the Town Council to fight this proposal and a Save Our Beds campaign was launched. Thanks to everyone’s efforts and the tremendous support from the public, and after a long campaign, including many Public Meetings and Protests, we won the day and the PCT’s decision was overturned and the hospital was saved.

Original Hospital Demolished

2011- Contractors moved in and the old Cottage Hospital was demolished – but the War Memorial stone was carefully moved to the new site.

New Hospital Opens

2012- The new North Walsham & District War Memorial Hospital was opened on August 1st by Mr Norman Lamb MP. The first patients had been admitted in the May.

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Chairman

Keith Jarvis
15 Primrose Close
Trunch NR28 0QH

Tel: 07788 889853

Secretary

Angela Batson
30 Beechlands Park
Southrepps NR11 8NT

Tel: 07775 557381

Treasurer

Carol Willgress
28 Beechlands Park
Southrepps NR11 8NT

Tel: 01263 833733

North Walsham and District War Memorial Hospital

Yarmouth Road
North Walsham
Norfolk NR28 9AP

Tel: 01692 408000

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