Dr. Gray's Hospital is a

district general hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergency ...

in Elgin, Moray,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. It is managed by

NHS Grampian NHS Grampian is an NHS board which forms one of the fourteen regional health boards of NHS Scotland. It is responsible for proving health and social care services to a population of over 500,000 people living in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray ...

History

The hospital was founded as a result of a bequest by Alexander Gray (d. 1807), who was born in Elgin but worked as a surgeon for the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

. His will was contested by his family, but eventually his bequest of £20,000 'for the establishment of a hospital in the town of Elgin for the sick and poor of the county of Murray ( Moray)' was proven in the

Court of Chancery The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid a slow pace of change and possible harshness (or "inequity") of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equ ...

. The hospital was designed by

James Gillespie Graham James Gillespie Graham (11 June 1776 – 11 March 1855) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the early 19th century. Life Graham was born in Dunblane on 11 June 1776. He was the son of Malcolm Gillespie, a solicitor. He was christened as J ...

, featuring a large classical block with giant Doric columns that supported a portico and was topped with drum tower and dome. Work on building the hospital at the western end of the town's High Street started in 1815 and the hospital opened on 1 January 1819, providing 30 beds that could be used for any parishioner of Moray who could produce a note of recommendation from their local minister of the established church. Often those of the Episcopalian or Catholic faith were turned away, causing conflict with the Burgh council on a number of occasions. Some patients who required urgent assistance were sent home critically ill lacking the paperwork from the Kirk minister, ultimately causing their death. A £22 million redevelopment of the hospital took place between 1992 and 1997 and included extensive refurbishment of existing facilities. The first stage, completed in May 1995, created a new complex for obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatric services, three new operating theatres and five new lifts. In January 1997 the second stage of redevelopment was completed, adding a new acute psychiatric ward and a new accident and emergency building. A sensory garden was opened in 2010 to provide patients, visitors and staff with an attractive place to relax. In 2012 a further £3 million redevelopment project commenced. The work, which included a new reception area, a rehabilitation ward, children's outpatient area and discharge lounge, was completed in 2013.

Services

Dr Gray's Hospital has 185 inpatient beds. It delivers approximately 1,100 births per year and has had full accreditation as Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, baby friendly since May 2012.

References

External links

Official site
{{authority control Hospital buildings completed in 1819 NHS Grampian NHS Scotland hospitals Hospitals in Moray Category A listed buildings in Moray Elgin, Moray