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Description

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The Southamptonbased hospital offers a variety of treatment and support including a range of primary and secondary care various specialist therapies dental treatment a Minor Injuries Unit Sexual Health services and an onsite pharmacy

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History

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The Royal South Hants RSH hospital has a long history stretching back to 1844 when the South Hants Infirmary was built and became the citys most important hospital 1851 saw the Bullar wards added to the hospital through the generosity of the doctors Joseph and William Bullar The chapel on the site which still exists as a Grade II listed building was built in 1857

The Royal South Hampshire hospital was started in 1865 funded by public subscription as one of a countrywide wave of voluntary hospitals like the Royal Hants County in Winchester Royal Sussex in Brighton The Crabbe wards were erected on the East side of the hospital in 1867 with a donation of Mrs Eyre Crabbe and in 1896 a new wing containing two wards operating theatres cottages for infectious cases and a mortuary were built costing pound29000 Further ward blocks and facilities often funded by prominent city families hence the names of wards such as Aldridge and Grimston

On 7 February 1900 HRH Princess Henry of Battenburg formally opened the new wing and the Infirmary became known as the Royal South Hants Hospital

For the next century the RSH was the citys main hospital and centre of surgery There is a wealth of archive material about the hospital such as how its operating theatres moved to Broadlands near Romsey during the Second World War to escape the heavy bombing

The RSH came into the National Health Service in 1948 and remained the citys main hospital until the late 1970s when it relinquished this position to the Southampton General Hospital which had the space to expand and develop the medical and nursing schools

In 1970 a major programme of development began as the RSH saw the creation of an inpatient facility for psychiatric patients the Department of Psychiatry residences for doctors and nurses and the biggest development of all the innovative outpatients centre that was modelled on the Mayo Clinic in the USA This building was an innovative step forward for healthcare services in the city and was designed as a onestop shop offering diagnostic and treatment services on the same site It anticipated the growth of day surgery that has only really fulfilled its promise in the last five years

In 1993 the RSH came under the management of the newly formed Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

The last 1012 years has seen something of a run down in the fortunes of the hospital so it is heartening to see its role as an important city community hospital being developed and invested in once more when on the 31 March 2007 it will be transferred to the management of Southampton City Primary Care Trust The PCT will develop it as a first class community hospital offering rapid diagnosis and treatment for the people of the Southampton