“Nurse, Screens please !”
A History of West Suffolk Hospital.
Terry O’Donoghue, a Green Badge Town Guide from Bury St Edmunds, gave us a very entertaining talk on the founding of West Suffolk Hospital and its development over the years.
We heard a fascinating account of early medical provision in Bury St Edmunds. From 1020 – 1539, the Benedictine Abbey in Bury St Edmunds provided the town with medical care. Baldwin, Abbot of Bury St Edmunds from 1065-1097 was personal physician to William the Conqueror and wrote a Book of Antidotes. Later, there were 6 hospices and the town was served by apothecaries providing remedies such as snail slime which was good for treating burns due to its antiseptic qualities.
Early hospitals, like Guys in London founded in 1721, were subscription hospitals. In 1824, Reverend Hasted of St Mary’s Church, Bury St Edmunds, secured a pledge of £2,000 from the first Marquess of Bristol (Ickworth) for a hospital, which opened in 1826. There were some unusual rules: no children under 7 and no incurable diseases were admitted but a “goodly supply of wine and spirits”. This probably aided the recovery of the very poor who needed nutrition and rest.
Conditions for doctors and nurses were hard. Doctors had to train for 18 months under a master, then 18 months in a London hospital. They worked long hours and the first doctor died on site at the early age of 23. Nurses also worked long hours and before the 1880s, they earned 8 guineas a year, whereas a hospital cleaner earned 10 guineas a year.
Fundraising for the hospital included theatre performances, fetes, bazaars (one in 1830s raised £2,480), and events of the Ladies Linen League organised by the Marchioness of Bristol. An air pageant in 1933 provided flying trips with Captain C.W. Scott to raise funds.
It is believed that Dr Cockran, who worked in Bury St Edmunds from 1927 – 41 set up the UK’s first blood bank. In 1939, one wing of the hospital was extended due to a donation of £35,000 from the Marchioness of Bristol.
The current West Suffolk Hospital was opened in March 1974. Bob Yearby was the onsite architect from 1972 and it was built using the Government’s “Best Buy” system, a building blueprint. During Covid, the nearby Hardwick Estate was purchased for £3.5 million, and approval has been received to build a “Garden Hospital” which will cost between £500 million – £1 billion to build so the story of West Suffolk Hospital continues….
An excellent talk by Terry O’Donoghue with fascinating detail.
Clare Mortimer
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