Dr. Gray's Hospital is a

district general hospital A hospital is a healthcare 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 ...

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. 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 that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

. 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 (

)' 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#History, common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over ...

. The hospital was designed by James Gillespie Graham, 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 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 Buildings and structures in Elgin, Moray