Belfast City Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Belfast City Hospital located in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, is a 900-bed modern university teaching hospital providing local acute services and key regional specialities. Its distinctive tower block dominates the Belfast skyline being the fourth tallest storeyed building in Ireland (after Windsor House
, Obel Tower
, both also in Belfast and the Elysian
in Cork
). It has a focus on the development of regional cancer and renal services. It is the largest general hospital in the United Kingdom
.
on the Lisburn Road
in the early part of the 19th century.
The Belfast
Board of Guardians was started on 11 May 1841 and from the beginning provided sick beds for the poor who did not have access to healthcare services provided by the government.
The Fever Hospital treated outbreaks of cholera, small pox, tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, typhoid, scarlet fever and rabies. The number of nurses grew over these years although they were often untrained. In 1867, there were fifteen paid nurses. In November 1884, Miss Ellie Pirrie was appointed Superintendent and Head Nurse. She knew Florence Nightingale
and in December 1884, Miss Nightingale sent a Christmas present to Miss Pirrie for the children in the Infirmary. Shortly after she was appointed, the Guardians approved a uniform for the paid nurses, and a distinctive apron for the unpaid female attendants. Under Miss Pirrie, nursing training began for the first time in Belfast and the first person, Miss Craig was sent to Dublin to sit a nursing examination. Nurse Craig was appointed Superintendent in 1892.
The National Health Service
was created in 1948, and three of the Hospital’s Laboratory Assistants were among the last 45 of the Workhouse Residents to serve on the hospital staff. Having been orphaned and with no record of their parents, they were known as Pauper John, Skipper and Red Hand Rufus.
The Hospital is known internationally for its cancer research programme. This has led to the establishment of a transatlantic partnership between the City Hospital and the National Cancer Institute of the United States.
The 17th March, 2006 saw the opening of an Oncology Centre.
It has four wards with a total of 72 beds. Much of the outpatient chemotherapy takes place in the Bridgewater Suite in main tower block.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, is a 900-bed modern university teaching hospital providing local acute services and key regional specialities. Its distinctive tower block dominates the Belfast skyline being the fourth tallest storeyed building in Ireland (after Windsor House
Windsor House
Windsor House is a high-rise office building in Bedford Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The building was the tallest storeyed building on the island of Ireland before being surpassed by Obel Tower and stands at 80 metres tall, with 23 floors.Being the former tallest building on the Island of...
, Obel Tower
Obel Tower
The Obel Tower is a skyscraper in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Costing £60 million and measuring 85 metres in height, the tower dominates the Belfast skyline. On completion it overtook the previous tallest skyscraper in Ireland, Windsor House , also in Belfast...
, both also in Belfast and the Elysian
The Elysian
The Elysian is a mixed-use celtic tiger-era building at Eglinton Street in Cork City, Ireland. Construction of the building was completed in early September 2008....
in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
). It has a focus on the development of regional cancer and renal services. It is the largest general hospital in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Origins
The City Hospital began life as a workhouseWorkhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
on the Lisburn Road
Lisburn Road
The Lisburn Road is a main arterial road linking Belfast and Lisburn, in Northern Ireland.The Lisburn Road is now an extension of the "Golden Mile" with many shops, boutiques, wine bars, restaurants and coffee houses. The road runs almost parallel to the Malone Road, the two being joined by many...
in the early part of the 19th century.
The Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
Board of Guardians was started on 11 May 1841 and from the beginning provided sick beds for the poor who did not have access to healthcare services provided by the government.
Workhouse Infirmary
Because it became difficult to separate the sick from the destitute, the Workhouse was developed into a Workhouse Infirmary, which soon had over 600 beds. The largest number of patients in the Belfast Union Infirmary was recorded as 4,252 on 31 January 1869.Dr. Thomas Andrews
Dr. Thomas Andrews, who qualified as a doctor in Edinburgh in 1835, was appointed by the Guardians at the age of 26 to work with the growing patient population and paid him £60 per annum. Belfast grew to a city of 350,000 people in Victorian times but the city had a problem with poor housing and sewage which led to at least four Cholera outbreaks. In 1847 the first Fever Hospital was opened by the Board of Guardians which was enlarged to 600 beds.Fever Hospital
In 1849 all fever patients were removed from the wards of the Frederick Street Hospital and transferred to the Infirmary or Fever Hospital on the grounds of the current City Hospital. This decision meant reduced bed numbers in the main Belfast General Hospital but that the amount of surgery now done there increased. In addition to the "fever" patients, the Infirmary also agreed to take all patients with burns, and those with incurable illnesses to the point where they were as many as 1,338 patients in 1883.The Fever Hospital treated outbreaks of cholera, small pox, tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, typhoid, scarlet fever and rabies. The number of nurses grew over these years although they were often untrained. In 1867, there were fifteen paid nurses. In November 1884, Miss Ellie Pirrie was appointed Superintendent and Head Nurse. She knew Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
and in December 1884, Miss Nightingale sent a Christmas present to Miss Pirrie for the children in the Infirmary. Shortly after she was appointed, the Guardians approved a uniform for the paid nurses, and a distinctive apron for the unpaid female attendants. Under Miss Pirrie, nursing training began for the first time in Belfast and the first person, Miss Craig was sent to Dublin to sit a nursing examination. Nurse Craig was appointed Superintendent in 1892.
Infirmary buildings
The Infirmary buildings were designed by Mr. Lanyon. The wards held up to seventy beds but were so large that they were hard to heat. The Maternity Hospital was first established on the City hospital site by Dr. McLeish.The National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
was created in 1948, and three of the Hospital’s Laboratory Assistants were among the last 45 of the Workhouse Residents to serve on the hospital staff. Having been orphaned and with no record of their parents, they were known as Pauper John, Skipper and Red Hand Rufus.
Current hospital
The current hospital with its distinctive yellow tower block was opened in 1986. It is 15 stories and 76 m (250 ft) in height. It is located on a 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) campus.The Hospital is known internationally for its cancer research programme. This has led to the establishment of a transatlantic partnership between the City Hospital and the National Cancer Institute of the United States.
The 17th March, 2006 saw the opening of an Oncology Centre.
It has four wards with a total of 72 beds. Much of the outpatient chemotherapy takes place in the Bridgewater Suite in main tower block.