The Hospital of St. Cross is a

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

hospital on Barby Road, in

Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby whi ...

, England, managed by the

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust runs University Hospital Coventry and the Hospital of St. Cross situated in Rugby, Warwickshire. The trust works in partnership with the University of Warwick's Warwick Medical School. D ...

. It is on the south edge of Rugby above a steep slope running down to the Sow Brook valley.

History

The hospital was founded by

Richard Henry Wood Richard Henry Wood DL JP FSA FRGS (6 February 1820 – 26 April 1908) was a British antiquary and philanthropist. Career Wood was the son of Charles Wood (d.1866) of Northen House, Northen, Cheshire, a former officer in the Napoleonic War ...

DL, a wealthy stockbroker who was originally from

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, but who had lived in Rugby for 21 years, and his wife, Elizabeth Wood (née Hatton) to replace an earlier nursing home in Castle Street, which had opened in 1869, and was no-longer adequate for the town's needs. The Woods' donated a plot of land off Barby Road and a donation of a million pounds to build the hospital. Named after the

Hospital of St Cross The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It has been described as "England's oldest and most perfect almshouse". Most of the buildings and grounds are open to the publ ...

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, it was designed by Henry Wilson, of Gray's Inn Square, and opened in July 1884. When opened it had three nurses, four support staff, and 31 beds. The hospital has undergone numerous extensions since, with many new buildings added. The original building is still extant. The Victoria Diamond Jubilee Wing was opened by the founder in July 1899, the children's wing was opened by Princess Henry of Battenburg in October 1907 and a new out-patient department was opened by the

Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of ...

in April 1929. In 1932 a sun

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

was added on the south side, when fresh air was viewed as an effective treatment. It joined the

in 1948. In the early-1990s, St Cross was further enlarged, after the decision was taken to close St Luke's Hospital in Rugby, and move all of its services to St Cross, this was completed in 1993. A new Diamond Jubilee rehabilitation centre was opened by

Princess Alexandra of Kent Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Alexandra were first cousins through their fathers, King George V ...

in April 2014.

Facilities

The hospital has 110 beds and six operating theatres, which specialise in

elective surgery Elective surgery or elective procedure (from the la, eligere, meaning to choose) is surgery that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency. Semi-elective surgery is a surgery that must be done to preserve the patien ...

. It has an urgent treatment centre for minor injuries and illnesses, which is open every day, 24 hours a day, but does not have a full

Accident and Emergency An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the Acute (medicine), ...

department, the nearest of which is based at

University Hospital Coventry University Hospital Coventry is a large National Health Service (NHS) hospital situated in the Walsgrave on Sowe area of Coventry, West Midlands, England, north-east of the city centre. It is part of the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwi ...

. It has a blood taking unit. It also provides

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

outpatient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health care ...

and

screening Screening may refer to: * Screening cultures, a type a medical test that is done to find an infection * Screening (economics), a strategy of combating adverse selection (includes sorting resumes to select employees) * Screening (environmental), a ...

services. A more extensive range of medical services are provided at the University Hospital Coventry which is the principal hospital serving the

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

and Rugby area. In 1997, the hospital's Accident and Emergency department was downgraded to a minor injuries unit; there has been a campaign locally to restore full A&E services to the hospital, citing a growing local population, and the long journey to the nearest A&E department in Coventry, some away.

Myton Hospice

Sharing the site of St Cross Hospital is Rugby Myton

Hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...

which was opened in 2002. This is not an NHS facility, but is funded largely by

charitable The practice of charity is the voluntary giving of help to those in need, as a humanitarian act, unmotivated by self-interest. There are a number of philosophies about charity, often associated with religion. Etymology The word ''charity'' or ...

donations.

References

External links

Wards are served by Rugby Hospital Radio (RHR)
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Rugby, Warwickshire Hospitals in Warwickshire NHS hospitals in England Hospitals established in 1884

History

Facilities

Myton Hospice

See also

References

External links