The Royal Victoria Hospital was a hospital situated on two sites in

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

, England. The primary site was in

Boscombe Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth, England. Historically in Hampshire, but today in Dorset, it is located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne. Originally a sparsely inhabited area of heathland, from around 1865 B ...

but for a period of time it was merged with a Westbourne site. The Westbourne site was the first named Royal Victoria Hospital of the two but the name was applied to both sites after merger in 1911. It has had several name changes during its history.

History

Victoria Hospital, Bournemouth, UK - line drawing

Early in May 1876 a

dispensary A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispen ...

scheme was launched in Bournemouth. This assisted those on low incomes to obtain treatment and medicines by means of a weekly subscription. In 1872 a formal decision was made to establish a 'branch hospital' for that purpose. In January 1877 it was announced that the premises were to be the permanent home of the dispensary, and were opened as the ''Boscombe, Pokesdown, and Springbourne Infirmary'', with accommodation for twelve patients. This infirmary was the nucleus of Boscombe Hospital. In February 1877, the ''Boscombe Cottage Hospital and Provident Dispensary'' opened in Shelley Road Boscombe. It initially had beds for 12 patients. It was expanded dramatically over time. It was later variously identified as the ''Boscombe Hospital'', ''Royal Boscombe Hospital'' or the ''Royal Boscombe Hospital and West Hants Hospital''. The first named ''Royal Victoria Hospital'' of the two was at 17 Poole Road, Westbourne. The hospital was raised through public subscription and founded in 1887. The building was designed by Messrs Creeke & Gifford, in the Queen Anne style, and erected by Messrs George & Harding, growing from 38 to 50 beds. It was officially opened by

the Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers o ...

, on 16 January 1890. In 1911, the two hospitals merged as the ''Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital''. The two sites were also simply identified as the ''Royal Victoria Hospital''. Comedian and actor Tony Hancock's father died of cancer at the Royal Victoria Hospital (Boscombe site) in 1935. After 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 ...

, the Royal Victoria Hospital (Westbourne site) became an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Hospital. It was then renamed ''Westbourne Eye Hospital''. The site was sold and the buildings converted into apartments around 2002. After services transferred to the

Royal Bournemouth Hospital The Royal Bournemouth Hospital is an acute general hospital in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It is managed by the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. The hospital was managed by The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals ...

in 1989, most of the buildings forming the Royal Victoria Hospital (Boscombe site) were demolished in 1993. Some parts of the hospital are still in use as NHS Clinical Commissioning Group administrative offices and an ENT clinic. Sixteen of the original W. B. Simpson tile panels from the Boscombe site can be found mounted on the stairs of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. The panels, which date from 1910, show nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

References

External links

Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital, Bournemouth (amalgamated with Royal Boscombe in 1911)

Flickr set
Photographs of the hospital, past and present {{authority control Hospital buildings completed in 1877 Hospital buildings completed in 1890 Buildings and structures in Bournemouth Hospitals in Dorset Defunct hospitals in England 1877 establishments in England

History

See also

References

External links