Queen Alexandra Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Queen Alexandra Hospital (commonly known as QA Hospital, or simply QA) in Cosham
, Portsmouth
, is one of several hospitals serving the city of Portsmouth. It is owned and administered by the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
.
. The original buildings were of red brick construction, and the site was in a largely rural area, linked to Portsmouth and the surrounding villages (now suburbs) by a tram
service.
The demilitarisation of the hospital began in 1926 when it was handed to the Ministry of Pensions, to care for disabled ex-servicemen. The Second World War
saw the first civilian patients admitted, and several temporary huts added to the site to increase capacity. As with many makeshift hospitals from the era, the huts stayed in place for several years after the war.
Following the creation of the National Health Service
(NHS) in 1948, all but 100 of the 640 beds were transferred to the NHS in 1951, with the remainder reserved for ex-servicemen. A League of Friends was established one year later. Development of the hospital under the NHS was rapid, and a Cerebral Palsy
Unit was built in 1955, with two classrooms, a physiotherapy room, a speech and language therapy room, a staff room, and a kitchen. The unit opened in 1956. This was followed in 1957 by an outpatients unit, and in 1958 by the hospital chapel.
In 1960 the existing buildings were upgraded with a new boiler system. The League of Friends funded two new day rooms, which were added in 1962, when the main block was refurbished. A library was added in 1963.
Later in the 1960s, it was announceed that the Queen Alexandra would become a district general hospital, complete with an Accident and Emergency department. This involved the construction of several new buildings, which began in 1968 with an eye department, a training school for nurses and two three-storey blocks for staff accommodation. A further two accommodation blocks, this time nine storeys high, were added later, being completed in 1976. Only two of the planned three new ward blocks were built.
Patients were transferred from the Royal Portsmouth Hospital
in 1979, with the Queen Alexandra Hospital, including a new breast unit, being officially opened a year later by Princess Alexandra
. Over the subsequent three years, the South Block was refurbished, culminating in the Trevor Howell Day Hospital opening in 1983. Five years later, a new diabetes unit opened, followed by a rehabilitation unit in 1991.
A further rebuilding of the hospital was announced in 1999, although plans for the new hospital were not agreed until 2005, with an estimated completion date of 2009. Building work is now completed and the new hospital finally opened on 15 June 2009, on time and budget. Some of the original buildings of the military hospital have been demolished to make way for the new main hospital buildings.
A new cancer laboratory was opened in 2007.
Finally in October 2009 the new Queen Alexandra Hospital was officially opened by The Princess Royal
.
The capital cost of Portsmouth Hospitals National Health Service Trust's private finance initiative
(PFI) scheme for the redevelopment of Queen Alexandra Hospital, being carried out by Carillion, is £236 million. The annual payment the trust will make to its private sector under the PFI contract is £32,866,000 million, subject to satisfactory performance by the contractor and other factors such as refinancing. The contract is for 35 years; payment commences after the first three and a half years upon the successful construction and handover of the new facilities to the trust.
Cosham
Cosham is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 along with Drayton and Wymering and Bocheland , Frodington and Copenore on the island.The name is of Saxon origin and means "Cossa's homestead"...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, is one of several hospitals serving the city of Portsmouth. It is owned and administered by the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
NHS Trust
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales.The trusts are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is...
.
History
Originally a military hospital, The Queen Alexandra was built in 1904-1908 to replace an earlier hospital which stood in Lion Street in PortseaPortsea
Portsea is an area of the English city of Portsmouth, located on Portsea Island, within the ceremonial county of Hampshire.The area was originally known as the Common and lay between the town of Portsmouth and the nearby Dockyard. The Common started to be developed at the end of the seventeenth...
. The original buildings were of red brick construction, and the site was in a largely rural area, linked to Portsmouth and the surrounding villages (now suburbs) by a tram
Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway
The Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway was a tram service that ran initially from Cosham to Horndean in Hampshire, England....
service.
The demilitarisation of the hospital began in 1926 when it was handed to the Ministry of Pensions, to care for disabled ex-servicemen. The Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
saw the first civilian patients admitted, and several temporary huts added to the site to increase capacity. As with many makeshift hospitals from the era, the huts stayed in place for several years after the war.
Following the creation of 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...
(NHS) in 1948, all but 100 of the 640 beds were transferred to the NHS in 1951, with the remainder reserved for ex-servicemen. A League of Friends was established one year later. Development of the hospital under the NHS was rapid, and a Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
Unit was built in 1955, with two classrooms, a physiotherapy room, a speech and language therapy room, a staff room, and a kitchen. The unit opened in 1956. This was followed in 1957 by an outpatients unit, and in 1958 by the hospital chapel.
In 1960 the existing buildings were upgraded with a new boiler system. The League of Friends funded two new day rooms, which were added in 1962, when the main block was refurbished. A library was added in 1963.
Later in the 1960s, it was announceed that the Queen Alexandra would become a district general hospital, complete with an Accident and Emergency department. This involved the construction of several new buildings, which began in 1968 with an eye department, a training school for nurses and two three-storey blocks for staff accommodation. A further two accommodation blocks, this time nine storeys high, were added later, being completed in 1976. Only two of the planned three new ward blocks were built.
Patients were transferred from the Royal Portsmouth Hospital
Royal Portsmouth Hospital
The Royal Portsmouth Hospital in Portsmouth, England was sited in Commercial Road close to the shopping centre and near to the Portsmouth Dockyard....
in 1979, with the Queen Alexandra Hospital, including a new breast unit, being officially opened a year later by Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
. Over the subsequent three years, the South Block was refurbished, culminating in the Trevor Howell Day Hospital opening in 1983. Five years later, a new diabetes unit opened, followed by a rehabilitation unit in 1991.
A further rebuilding of the hospital was announced in 1999, although plans for the new hospital were not agreed until 2005, with an estimated completion date of 2009. Building work is now completed and the new hospital finally opened on 15 June 2009, on time and budget. Some of the original buildings of the military hospital have been demolished to make way for the new main hospital buildings.
A new cancer laboratory was opened in 2007.
Finally in October 2009 the new Queen Alexandra Hospital was officially opened by The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
.
The capital cost of Portsmouth Hospitals National Health Service Trust's private finance initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
(PFI) scheme for the redevelopment of Queen Alexandra Hospital, being carried out by Carillion, is £236 million. The annual payment the trust will make to its private sector under the PFI contract is £32,866,000 million, subject to satisfactory performance by the contractor and other factors such as refinancing. The contract is for 35 years; payment commences after the first three and a half years upon the successful construction and handover of the new facilities to the trust.
External links
- Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust Main website
- Portsmouth Hospital Radio New Website as of November 2006