By Wilfrid Edgecombe, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.S.
The history of the Harrogate and District General
Hospital
Last week's installment told how, after a controversy lasting two
years, the decision was taken in 1925 to build a new hospital on a
site on Knaresborough Road.
Then followed the problem of finance - how to raise the necessary
money. The same architects, Messrs Elcock and Sutcliffe, were
retained and paid a sum of £315 as prize money for their previous
plans, and were instructed to prepare entirely new ones for a
hospital, on an open site, of approximately 120 beds. They
adopted the pavilion principle of hospital construction and
estimated the cost as around £74,000. Intensive efforts were made to
raise this sum. A grand bazaar, organised by Mrs Bertram Watson,
was held in the Royal Hall. It realised £23,000. Other funds from
various sources, donations, subscriptions, etc, amounted to
approximately £19,000 making a total maximum of £42,000 obtainable.
A small committee, consisting of the late Sir Norman Rae, Sir
Harold (now Lord) Mackintosh, and the late Major C W Whitworth,
was appointed to review the financial position and future prospects.
After careful enquiry they estimated that the highest attainable
annual income of the hospital that could reasonably be anticipated
in the future would be £12,800; and therefore it was not justifiable
to embark on so ambitious a scheme.
Accordingly the architect was instructed to cut his coat
according to his cloth, and plans were modified to provide 100
beds, which later increase to 150 and the estimate ruthlessly reduced
from £75,000 to £42,000.
Looking back in the light of subsequent events, it seems a
thousand pities that more courage, faith, foresight and enterprise
were not forthcoming in those days. A more enlightened outlook
would have resulted in saving many thousands of pounds in the long
run.
In 1924 the Affiliated Clubs of Harrogate kindly started a fund
to provide X-ray equipment for the hospital. Hitherto this X-ray
work had been done by the radiologist, Dr Saberton, at his private
residence. With the installation of new plant at the hospital, Dr.
Saberton resigned and his partner, Dr C Hitchcock, was appointed
radiologist in his place.
The funds of the hospital were increased by a legacy of £3,000
from Miss Trotter and a gift of £1,000 from Mr Alvey Darwin in
memory of his son.
It is interesting to record how funds were raised from time to
time in aid of the hospital by various mayors of the town. In 1915
Sir Thomas Fleming raised £2,890; and again in 1921 £1,403; a "shilling a week" fund inaugurated by Mayor John Houfe realised £1,423;
and in 1922 Mayor W Raworth collected £1,026.
Also ,in 1924 the Ladies Linen League was founded with the object
of providing the necessary household requisites for the hospital.
The response to it was magnificent. In the first year no fewer
than 1,000 articles were produced and the ladies continued, year by
year, to furnish invaluable help up to the takeover of the
hospital by the National Health Service in 1948.
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