Mater Infirmorum Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Mater Infirmorum Hospital, commonly known as The Mater is an acute hospital in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
and serves a population of over 200,000 people. It provides services to most of North Belfast
and South Antrim
, reaching as far as Glengormley
, Carrickfergus
and Newtownabbey
. It also provides a psychiatric service for North Belfast and West Belfast
. The Trust provides a wide range of services including acute In-patient, A&E, Day Procedures, Mental Illness and Maternity. The Latin word Mater is commonly pronounced both "matt-er" and "mae-ter" by residents of the city (the pronunciation does not denote anything about religion or political sympathies of the speaker) This has led to the phrase "You go to the maeter to find out what's the matter.". The hospital Mission Statement is "To provide high quality patient care irrespective of creed or class, whilst treating every one as an individual."
The hospital is situated in the middle of one of the more economically and socially deprived areas of Belfast, though not far from the city centre. It lies in the middle of lesser well-off populations which for years had been distinguished from each other as having predominantly either Roman Catholic or Protestant. The Mater Hospital has often been caught up in community tensions since the 1970s. It draws patients and staff from all areas of the population and maintains close links with local people. Belfast has been a popular destination in recent years for foreign nurses to come and settle and work for short and long periods and for life.
The main hospital opened in 1900. In 1909 the Mater Hospital was officially recognised as a university teaching hospital and is still associated with and receives students from the Queen's University Medical School.
The hospital required a major refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards. As the first phase of a modernisation programme, a new ward block and day procedures unit was built at the rear of the present block, at a cost of £15 million. This cost was fully met by a generous contribution from the charitable funds of the YP Trustees, who have long association with the Mater.
In 1945 the first Mater Maternity Unit opened, caring for nineteen mothers and their babies. Then, in 1952, the first Neuropsychiatry department opened based in an acute Hospital. The Hospital became fully integrated into the National Health Service
in 1972.
Today, it is one of the biggest employers in North Belfast with over 1000 staff, and is fully integrated into the Health Service of Northern Ireland with its own Trust Board of Management.
Architecturally, the hospital is housed in a mixture of historic and recent buildings. The older parts, like much of the remaining older architecture in Belfast, are of designs characteristic to the Victorian
period in this country. The recent parts of the hospital are mostly of the basic functionalist structural design, of the later decades of the 20th Century, the largest being a large glass surface cuboid. The contrast of the design of both periods found next to each other and forming the one institution, notably on the Crumlin Road, may be found at least surprising, and some say incongruous.
The Trust has also been awarded Charter Mark
s for Excellence in Maternity Services (awarded twice), Psychiatric Services and Ophthalmology.
From 1999 to 2000 the Mater Hospital cared for:-
In terms of history of the last few decades, there is little notable to mention about this area, aside from being an area which has had in it or near it occurrences of violence during The Troubles
. Although there has been for decades and there remains little of interest currently which would draw people from outside this area in terms of services, there is certainly interest to be found in the area and good potential. The area has been deemed as one which is expected to be greatly regenerated, and is earmarked for development.
A few buildings of very important historical and historical political interest remain nearby. The former Crumlin Road Gaol
(prison) building nearby has become a very popular visitor attraction. During this first decade of the 21st Century, there has been much published and talked about as to how the area can be regenerated for people of the vicinity and Belfast as well as visitors to the city.
The large, grand Court House building on Crumlin Road is likely to be developed (see Crumlin Road Courthouse
). Local press reported interest of development of the very historically significant building in terms of a visitor attraction and tourist accommodation. Though redevelopment as apartments has recently been suggested, and it is hoped that very sensitive redevelopment of this fine building will take place to the better effect of this vicinity of the Mater Infirmorum Hospital. There is further historical interest in a few buildings close by around Carlisle Circus, on North Queen Street and on the bottom of Antrim Road, as well as one of the city's oldest cemeteries Clifton Street Graveyard (entry at Henry Place, Clifton Street). The Victorian parts of The Mater Hospital are intended to be preserved.
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...
and serves a population of over 200,000 people. It provides services to most of North 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...
and South Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, reaching as far as Glengormley
Glengormley
Glengormley or Glengormly is the name of a townland and electoral ward in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Glengormley is within the urban area called Newtownabbey and the wider Newtownabbey Borough.-Location:...
, Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
and Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a large town north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sometimes considered to be a suburb of Belfast, it is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course...
. It also provides a psychiatric service for North Belfast and West 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...
. The Trust provides a wide range of services including acute In-patient, A&E, Day Procedures, Mental Illness and Maternity. The Latin word Mater is commonly pronounced both "matt-er" and "mae-ter" by residents of the city (the pronunciation does not denote anything about religion or political sympathies of the speaker) This has led to the phrase "You go to the maeter to find out what's the matter.". The hospital Mission Statement is "To provide high quality patient care irrespective of creed or class, whilst treating every one as an individual."
History
The Mater Infirmorum (Mother of the Sick) Hospital has been serving the people of Belfast since it admitted its first patients on 1 November 1883 , in premises on the Crumlin Road in Belfast, known as Bedeque House. It was initially founded by the Sisters of Mercy but has always treated patients without regard to class or creed.The hospital is situated in the middle of one of the more economically and socially deprived areas of Belfast, though not far from the city centre. It lies in the middle of lesser well-off populations which for years had been distinguished from each other as having predominantly either Roman Catholic or Protestant. The Mater Hospital has often been caught up in community tensions since the 1970s. It draws patients and staff from all areas of the population and maintains close links with local people. Belfast has been a popular destination in recent years for foreign nurses to come and settle and work for short and long periods and for life.
The main hospital opened in 1900. In 1909 the Mater Hospital was officially recognised as a university teaching hospital and is still associated with and receives students from the Queen's University Medical School.
The hospital required a major refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards. As the first phase of a modernisation programme, a new ward block and day procedures unit was built at the rear of the present block, at a cost of £15 million. This cost was fully met by a generous contribution from the charitable funds of the YP Trustees, who have long association with the Mater.
In 1945 the first Mater Maternity Unit opened, caring for nineteen mothers and their babies. Then, in 1952, the first Neuropsychiatry department opened based in an acute Hospital. The Hospital became fully integrated into 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...
in 1972.
Today, it is one of the biggest employers in North Belfast with over 1000 staff, and is fully integrated into the Health Service of Northern Ireland with its own Trust Board of Management.
Architecturally, the hospital is housed in a mixture of historic and recent buildings. The older parts, like much of the remaining older architecture in Belfast, are of designs characteristic to the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
period in this country. The recent parts of the hospital are mostly of the basic functionalist structural design, of the later decades of the 20th Century, the largest being a large glass surface cuboid. The contrast of the design of both periods found next to each other and forming the one institution, notably on the Crumlin Road, may be found at least surprising, and some say incongruous.
Hospital Services
The Mater Hospital has 236 beds and provides a comprehensive range of services:- General MedicineInternal medicineInternal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
, including Haematology, GastroenterologyGastroenterologyGastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
, DiabetesDiabetes mellitusDiabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
, and CardiologyCardiologyCardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
; - General SurgeryGeneral surgeryGeneral surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
, including Vascular SurgeryVascular surgeryVascular surgery is a specialty of surgery in which diseases of the vascular system, or arteries and veins, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures, and surgical reconstruction. The specialty evolved from general and cardiac surgery...
. - A regional Hepatobiliary ServiceHepatobiliary systemThis refers to the liver, gall bladder and bile ducts, and how they work together to make bile. Bile consists of water, electrolytes, bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids and conjugated bilirubin. Some components are synthesised by liver cells, the rest are extracted from the blood by the...
which attracts referrals from throughout Northern Ireland. - UrologyUrologyUrology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
is available on a day case, inpatient and outpatient basis. There are over 300 Urology day cases and 500 inpatients per annum. Outpatient services include a frank haematuria clinic. - The hospital holds a Charter MarkCharter MarkThe Customer Service Excellence, is an accreditation for organisations and an independent validation of achievement.-History:...
for its PsychiatricPsychiatryPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
services including Day Hospital and Psychogeriatrics. It provides inpatient, day attendance and outpatient services to North and West Belfast. There are 55 inpatient psychiatric beds on the Mater hospital site. Day attendances (a nurse led service) take place at Alexandra Gardens Day Hospital. These include: cognitive behavioural therapy, one-to-one counselling, group work, relaxation classes and occupational therapy. - The OphthalmologyOphthalmologyOphthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
service has been awarded the Charter MarkCharter MarkThe Customer Service Excellence, is an accreditation for organisations and an independent validation of achievement.-History:...
twice. There are around 2,000 day cases per year in addition to weekly outpatient clinics. - ENTOtolaryngologyOtolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders....
- ObstetricsObstetricsObstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
, NeonatologyNeonatologyNeonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn infant. It is a hospital-based specialty, and is usually practiced in neonatal intensive care units...
and GynaecologyGynaecologyGynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
Services. This specialty has also been awarded a Charter MarkCharter MarkThe Customer Service Excellence, is an accreditation for organisations and an independent validation of achievement.-History:...
for its services. It includes a 23 bedded maternity unit and a 12 bedded gynaecology unit. In addition to Midwife care, a Breastfeeding Counsellor also aims to promote the rate of mothers who breastfeed and provided a flexible parentcraft programme. - Intensive Care UnitIntensive Care Unitthumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
- An Accident & EmergencyEmergency departmentAn emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
Department is open 24 hours per day - Day Procedure Unit a new £16 million inpatient and day procedures unit opened in 2001
- A well equipped RadiologyRadiologyRadiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
department which now includes a new MRIMagnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
Unit, recently opened in January 2007
The Trust has also been awarded Charter Mark
Charter Mark
The Customer Service Excellence, is an accreditation for organisations and an independent validation of achievement.-History:...
s for Excellence in Maternity Services (awarded twice), Psychiatric Services and Ophthalmology.
From 1999 to 2000 the Mater Hospital cared for:-
- 44,844 Accident and Emergency Patients
- 64,300 Outpatient Patients
- 13084 Inpatients and 3957 Day cases
Area of the Vicinity of the Mater Hospital
The vicinity of the hospital is filled with densely packed residential housing, mostly terraced style housing. For many years this has been a densely packed residential part of the city within walking distance of the city centre. In recent years newer terraced housing is evident, replacing similar older housing.In terms of history of the last few decades, there is little notable to mention about this area, aside from being an area which has had in it or near it occurrences of violence during The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
. Although there has been for decades and there remains little of interest currently which would draw people from outside this area in terms of services, there is certainly interest to be found in the area and good potential. The area has been deemed as one which is expected to be greatly regenerated, and is earmarked for development.
A few buildings of very important historical and historical political interest remain nearby. The former Crumlin Road Gaol
Crumlin Road Gaol
HMP Belfast, also known as Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the only Victorian era prison remaining in Northern Ireland and has been derelict since 1996...
(prison) building nearby has become a very popular visitor attraction. During this first decade of the 21st Century, there has been much published and talked about as to how the area can be regenerated for people of the vicinity and Belfast as well as visitors to the city.
The large, grand Court House building on Crumlin Road is likely to be developed (see Crumlin Road Courthouse
Crumlin Road Courthouse
The Crumlin Road Courthouse was designed by the architect Charles Lanyon and completed in 1850. It is situated across the road from the Crumlin Road Gaol and the two are linked by an underground passage....
). Local press reported interest of development of the very historically significant building in terms of a visitor attraction and tourist accommodation. Though redevelopment as apartments has recently been suggested, and it is hoped that very sensitive redevelopment of this fine building will take place to the better effect of this vicinity of the Mater Infirmorum Hospital. There is further historical interest in a few buildings close by around Carlisle Circus, on North Queen Street and on the bottom of Antrim Road, as well as one of the city's oldest cemeteries Clifton Street Graveyard (entry at Henry Place, Clifton Street). The Victorian parts of The Mater Hospital are intended to be preserved.