Royal Hospital Haslar
Encyclopedia
The Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport
, Hampshire
, England was one of several hospitals serving the Portsmouth Urban Area
. The Royal Hospital Haslar officially closed as the last military hospital in the UK in 2007. In the summer of 2009 all services were relocated to the Queen Alexandra Hospital
in Portsmouth.
The military personnel remaining at Haslar have now joined the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU Portsmouth) at Queen Alexandra Hospital
in Cosham
, Portsmouth
.
Haslar had a number of specialist facilities including a decompression chamber and a zymotic isolation ward.
In 2001 Haslar was designated a Grade II listed historic park. Several of the buildings are listed.
hospital in 1753. It has a long and distinguished history in the medical care of service personnel in peacetime and in war.
The building was designed by Theodore Jacobsen and built between 1746-61.
Haslar was the biggest hospital and the largest brick building in England when it was built. The hospital included an asylum for sailors with psychiatric disorders and an early superintending psychiatrist was the phrenologist, Dr James Scott (1785–1859), a member of the influential Edinburgh Phrenological Society
. James Lind
at Haslar Hospital 1758-1774 played a large part in discovering a cure for scurvy, not least through his pioneering use of a double blind trial of vitamin C supplements (limes).
In 1902 the hospital became known as the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar (abbreviated to RNH Haslar).
In the 1940s, RNH Haslar set up the country's first blood bank
to treat wounded soldiers from the Second World War.
In 1966 the remit of the hospital expanded to serve all three services - the Royal Navy
, Army
and Royal Air Force
.
In 1996 the hospital again became known as the Royal Hospital Haslar.
In 2001 the provision of acute healthcare within Royal Hospital Haslar was transferred from the Defence Secondary Care Agency to the NHS Trust. The Royal Hospital was the last MOD-owned acute hospital in the UK. The change from military control to the NHS, and the complete closure of the hospital have been the subject of considerable local controversy.
In 2009 the hospital formally closed and the site is due to be redeveloped.
On 17 May 2010 an investigation of the hospital's burial ground, by archaeologists from Cranfield Forensic Institute
, was featured on Channel 4
's Time Team
. It was estimated that up to 7,785 individuals had been buried there. From 1758 the chief surgeon was James Lind
who previously, though unwittingly, had discovered the cure for scurvy
. Lind's pioneering work on infection control considerably improved mortality rates. Archaeological investigations showed evidence of scurvy and revealled that limb amputations had been commonplace.
The ward closed in 2009 along with the rest of the site and military staff moved to new posts within MDHU Portsmouth or other units around the country.
of Gosport.
The staff consisted of Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army led by a band of the Royal Marines
. The Gosport citizens are said to deeply saddened by the closure of Haslar and there are campaigns to keep the hospital open. Gosport politicians cite that the UK is the only country in the Western world not to have a dedicated Military hospital, run by and for its military staff - who understand the needs and ideology of the service person. At present, most casualties from conflicts return to Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham
.
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England was one of several hospitals serving the Portsmouth Urban Area
Portsmouth Urban Area
The Portsmouth Urban Area, in south-east Hampshire in southern England, includes the following components :*Fareham*Portchester*Gosport*Havant*Lee-on-the-Solent*Portsmouth*Stubbington*Waterlooville...
. The Royal Hospital Haslar officially closed as the last military hospital in the UK in 2007. In the summer of 2009 all services were relocated to the Queen Alexandra Hospital
Queen Alexandra Hospital
The Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth, is one of several hospitals serving the city of Portsmouth...
in Portsmouth.
The military personnel remaining at Haslar have now joined the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU Portsmouth) at Queen Alexandra Hospital
Queen Alexandra Hospital
The Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth, is one of several hospitals serving the city of Portsmouth...
in Cosham
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...
.
Haslar had a number of specialist facilities including a decompression chamber and a zymotic isolation ward.
The site
The grounds are said to contain the bodies of at least 20,000 service personnel.In 2001 Haslar was designated a Grade II listed historic park. Several of the buildings are listed.
History
The Royal Hospital Haslar began as a Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
hospital in 1753. It has a long and distinguished history in the medical care of service personnel in peacetime and in war.
The building was designed by Theodore Jacobsen and built between 1746-61.
Haslar was the biggest hospital and the largest brick building in England when it was built. The hospital included an asylum for sailors with psychiatric disorders and an early superintending psychiatrist was the phrenologist, Dr James Scott (1785–1859), a member of the influential Edinburgh Phrenological Society
Edinburgh Phrenological Society
The Edinburgh Phrenological Society was established in 1820. Phrenology was then claimed to be a science but is now regarded as a pseudoscience. The central concepts of phrenology were that the brain is the organ of the mind and that human behaviour can be most usefully understood in neurological...
. James Lind
James Lind
James Lind FRSE FRCPE was a Scottish physician. He was a pioneer of naval hygiene in the Royal Navy. By conducting the first ever clinical trial, he developed the theory that citrus fruits cured scurvy...
at Haslar Hospital 1758-1774 played a large part in discovering a cure for scurvy, not least through his pioneering use of a double blind trial of vitamin C supplements (limes).
In 1902 the hospital became known as the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar (abbreviated to RNH Haslar).
In the 1940s, RNH Haslar set up the country's first blood bank
Blood bank
A blood bank is a cache or bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a division of a hospital laboratory where the storage of blood product occurs and where proper...
to treat wounded soldiers from the Second World War.
In 1966 the remit of the hospital expanded to serve all three services - the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
In 1996 the hospital again became known as the Royal Hospital Haslar.
In 2001 the provision of acute healthcare within Royal Hospital Haslar was transferred from the Defence Secondary Care Agency to the NHS Trust. The Royal Hospital was the last MOD-owned acute hospital in the UK. The change from military control to the NHS, and the complete closure of the hospital have been the subject of considerable local controversy.
In 2009 the hospital formally closed and the site is due to be redeveloped.
On 17 May 2010 an investigation of the hospital's burial ground, by archaeologists from Cranfield Forensic Institute
Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
, was featured on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
. It was estimated that up to 7,785 individuals had been buried there. From 1758 the chief surgeon was James Lind
James Lind
James Lind FRSE FRCPE was a Scottish physician. He was a pioneer of naval hygiene in the Royal Navy. By conducting the first ever clinical trial, he developed the theory that citrus fruits cured scurvy...
who previously, though unwittingly, had discovered the cure for scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
. Lind's pioneering work on infection control considerably improved mortality rates. Archaeological investigations showed evidence of scurvy and revealled that limb amputations had been commonplace.
The last military-run ward
The last military-run ward was ward E5, a planned orthopaedic surgery ward. The ward encompassed 21 beds in small 'rooms', and was run by the military staff with some NHS colleagues; the ward manager was a serving military officer. The ward was served by both military and NHS doctors; the ancillary staff were non-military.The ward closed in 2009 along with the rest of the site and military staff moved to new posts within MDHU Portsmouth or other units around the country.
March out
To mark the handover of control to the civilian NHS trust, the military medical staff marched out of RH Haslar in 2007, exercising the unit's rights of the freedomFreedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Gosport.
The staff consisted of Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army led by a band of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. The Gosport citizens are said to deeply saddened by the closure of Haslar and there are campaigns to keep the hospital open. Gosport politicians cite that the UK is the only country in the Western world not to have a dedicated Military hospital, run by and for its military staff - who understand the needs and ideology of the service person. At present, most casualties from conflicts return to Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham
Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham
Selly Oak Hospital, in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham, England, is one of two hospitals which form the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the other being the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston.-History:...
.