Alder Hey Children's Hospital is a children's hospital and

NHS foundation trust A foundation trust is a semi-autonomous organisational unit within the National Health Service in England. They have a degree of independence from the Department of Health and Social Care (and, until the abolition of SHAs in 2013, their local s ...

West Derby West Derby ( ) is an affluent suburb of Liverpool, England. It is located East of the city and is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382. History West Derby Mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'', West ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England. It is one of the largest children's hospitals in the United Kingdom, and one of several specialist hospitals within the Liverpool City Region, alongside the

Royal Liverpool University Hospital The Royal Liverpool University Hospital (RLUH) is a major teaching and research hospital located in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the largest and busiest hospital in Merseyside and Cheshire, and has the largest emergency department of i ...

Liverpool Women's Hospital Liverpool Women's Hospital is a major obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatology research hospital in Liverpool, England. It is one of several specialist hospitals located within the Liverpool City Region, alongside Alder Hey Children's Hospital, ...

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital The Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital is a National Health Service hospital in Liverpool. It is one of several specialist hospitals located within the Liverpool City Region, alongside Liverpool Women's Hospital, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, the ...

, the Walton Centre, Mersey Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit, and

Clatterbridge Cancer Centre The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (colloquially known as The Royal Cancer Hospital) is an NHS Foundation Trust, which specialises in the treatment of cancer. The centre is one of several specialist hospitals located within Merseyside; alongside Li ...

History

Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool (4)

Early history

The hospital was first established as a military hospital in 1914. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

established Camp Hospital 40 on the site, operated by Hospital Unit Q and, subsequently, Unit W. American sources commonly refer to Alder Hey as being within Liverpool's Knotty Ash area. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, parts of the hospital were again used to treat injured military personnel. The Liverpool Neonatal Surgical Unit opened at the hospital in 1953. This unit was the first

neonatal intensive care unit A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as kn ...

in the United Kingdom. The opening was largely due to the efforts of Isabella Forshall, a paediatric surgeon. In 1990 when Myrtle Street Children's Hospital (founded in 1869 and previously known as Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital) closed, Alder Hey absorbed its A&E department. The hospital authority was one of 57 such bodies which became an

NHS hospital trust A hospital trust, also known as an acute trust, is an NHS trust that provides secondary health services within the English National Health Service and, until they were abolished, in NHS Wales. Hospital trusts were commissioned to provide these s ...

in 1991. Ronald McDonald House, a home for the families of sick children, opened in 1993. In 1999 an inquiry was instituted into the

Alder Hey organs scandal The Alder Hey organs scandal involved the unauthorised removal, retention, and disposal of human tissue, including children’s organ (anatomy), organs, during the period 1986 to 1996. During this period organs were retained in more than 2,000 ...

and to investigate the hospital's practices in respect of removal and retention of human tissue. The inquiry had far-reaching effects throughout the UK hospital system and provided the impetus for the Human Tissue Act 2004. In August 2008 the Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust became an

and changed its name to Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust. Between 2010 and 2014 the number of doctors employed at the trust increased from 269 to 344, while the number of managers increased from 70 to 86. At the end of March 2017, the trust was confirmed as one of four additional NHS

Global Digital Exemplar The Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) programme is an NHS England initiative to achieve digital transformation in selected exemplar organisations and to create a knowledge sharing ecosystem to spread learning from these exemplars. The programme is to e ...

s, joining the twelve announced in September 2016.

Redevelopment

Alder Hey had its centenary year in 2014, the last year in which it operated from the buildings on its original site. A new hospital was procured under

Private Finance Initiative The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 199 ...

contract in neighbouring Springfield Park. The works, which were carried out by

Laing O'Rourke Laing O'Rourke is a multinational construction company headquartered in Dartford, England. It was founded in 1978 by Ray O'Rourke. It is the largest privately owned construction company in the United Kingdom. History The company was founded by ...

at a cost of £187 million, began on 26 March 2013 and the hospital opened in October 2015. It was Europe's first children's hospital built in a park. The original Alder Hey buildings were mostly demolished and the land was reclaimed as new parkland for the surrounding community. Features of the new hospital include access to play areas, natural light and striking views of the park are available wherever possible Children and young people were involved with the design of the new hospital. A drawing of a flower by teenage patient Eleanor Brogan impressed architects and inspired their final design.

Facilities

The hospital is a centre of excellence for

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

and

muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...

as well as spinal, heart and brain conditions. It was also the first UK Centre of Excellence for Childhood Lupus and is: * A Department of Health Centre for Head and Face Surgery * One of four national centres for childhood epilepsy surgery, a joint service with the

Royal Manchester Children's Hospital The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital is a children's hospital in Oxford Road, Manchester, England. The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital is managed by the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. History A new hospital was required to ...

* A designated Children's Major Trauma Centre Alder Hey has Europe's first 3T Intraoperative MRI scanner which is a pioneering technology for neurosurgery, providing surgeons with extremely high resolution images and reducing the need for repeat operations in 90% of cases. It currently employs about 2,400 staff and treats over 270,000 children from across the UK each year.

Research and development

Alder Hey conducts paediatric research into children's medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology. It has research partners including the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

and is a member of Liverpool Health Partners. Alder Hey conducts more than 100 clinical research studies on an ongoing basis, ranging from observation to clinical trials. The hospital is within the National Institute for Health and Care Research's Top 100 Performing Trust's for participation recruitment in 2013/14. Alder Hey was a finalist in the Clinical Research Impact category of the 2013 HSJ Awards and in 2014 the innovation team received the Health Service Journal Award for improving health care with technology. In 2016 the first phase of a bespoke research, education and innovation centre, Institute in the Park, opened next to Alder Hey in the Park. In November 2015, the institute hosted a children's health

Hackathon A hackathon (also known as a hack day, hackfest, datathon or codefest; a portmanteau of hacking and marathon) is an event where people engage in rapid and collaborative engineering over a relatively short period of time such as 24 or 48 hours. Th ...

in conjunction with

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

Notable firsts

Alder Hey was the first hospital to: * Test

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...

, saving a child from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

in 1944 * Establish a

neonatal unit A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as kn ...

in the UK * Pioneer various splints and appliances, including the

Thomas splint A traction splint most commonly refers to a splinting device that uses straps attaching over the pelvis or hip as an anchor, a metal rod(s) to mimic normal bone stability and limb length, and a mechanical device to apply traction (used in an a ...

* Introduce 'liquid glass' to reduce infection * Be accredited by the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

for public health promotion (first paediatric hospital)

Charitable work

Alder Hey Children's Charity

Alder Hey Children's Charity supports the work of the hospital. In addition to NHS funding which covers the running costs of the hospital, Alder Hey relies on charitable support. Funds are spent directly on initiatives in the hospital to benefit patients. It funds research initiatives, patient and family enhancements and state of the art medical equipment. Known as the 'Imagine Appeal' until 2012, Alder Hey Children's Charity is based within the hospital. On 14 October 2013 the charity launched a public appeal to raise £30m to fund equipment, facilities and research at Alder Hey's new hospital, Alder Hey in the Park. In October 2015 the charity announced over £20m had been raised. Alder Hey has numerous notable supporters, including

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

as Honorary Patron,

Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player, who most recently managed club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Ge ...

as Appeal Founding Partner and Patrons including: *

Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States. He spent much of his playing career as a forward while als ...

Coleen Rooney Coleen Mary Rooney ( McLoughlin; born 3 April 1986) is the wife of former English footballer Wayne Rooney. She is also a former television personality. Early life and family Coleen Mary McLoughlin was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, to Tony an ...

* AP McCoy * Mick Fitzgerald * Beth Tweddle * Jamie Carragher * David Morrissey * Andrew Flintoff *

Leighton Baines Leighton John Baines (born 11 December 1984) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a left back. He is currently U-18s manager at Everton F.C., Everton. Baines started his career with Wigan Athletic F.C ...

In 2009 charitable support allowed Alder Hey to buy Europe's first 3T intraoperative MRI scanner. In one charitably funded project, the sound recordist and musician

Chris Watson John Christian Watson (born Johan Cristian Tanck; 9 April 186718 November 1941) was an Australian politician who served as the third prime minister of Australia, in office from 27 April to 18 August 1904. He served as the inaugural federal lead ...

was employed to devise an art project, using

bird song Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalizations) are distinguished by func ...

recordings made by children to calm other young patients as they received injections and other treatments.

Art For Their Sake

In 1978, the charity Art For Their Sake, a team of volunteer artists led by founder George Nicholas (now of Ormskirk, England), produced the world's longest mural in the corridors of Alder Hey Children's Hospital. A Guinness Record was set with a total of 17,963 square feet of murals, and awarded to the hospital in 1986. Nicholas and his team continued to work on these murals for a period of 30 years, adding to as well as restoring and maintaining, for a total of over 34,000 square feet.

Arts for Health

Alder Hey runs an Arts for Health programme, funded entirely through charitable sources including Alder Hey Children's Charity. The programme aims to enhance the experience of being a patient and includes animation projects, music and dance therapy, creative writing, comedy workshops and storytelling.

International Child Health Development Programme

An international child health development programme led by Alder Hey clinicians focuses on humanitarian work in developing countries. The programme includes provision of immediate medical support, knowledge sharing and involvement with international clinical trials. The programme has undertaken work across

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, including

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

TV appearances

During the 1990s Alder Hey was featured in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

television series '' Children's Hospital''. In 2011, chef Heston Blumenthal took to the challenge of changing the dinner menu of Alder Hey Children's Hospital on his televised show, ''Heston's Mission Impossible''. Since September 2012, Alder Hey has regularly featured on the

CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...

television series '' Operation Ouch!''.

Performance

In October 2013, the Care Quality Commission's Intelligent Monitoring system placed Alder Hey in category one, meaning it would be amongst the first hospitals to be inspected under a new style of inspection. In May 2014, Alder Hey was inspected by the Care Quality Commission and was given the overall rating Requires Improvement. In June 2015, Alder Hey was re-inspected by the Care Quality Commission and was given the overall rating Good, and was rated Outstanding in the Caring category. Another inspection took place in 2018, the overall rating was unchanged.

Management

Dame Josephine Williams was appointed Chair of the Trust Board in February 2019. Louise Shepherd

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

was appointed Chief Executive of the trust in March 2008.

References

External links

Hospital website
* {{authority control NHS hospitals in England Hospitals in Liverpool Children's hospitals in the United Kingdom Hospitals established in 1914 1914 establishments in England