The Royal Alexandra Hospital (, RAH) is a

community hospital A community hospital can be purely a nominal designation or have a more specific meaning. When specific, it refers to a hospital that is accessible to the general public and provides a general or specific medical care which is usually short-term, i ...

Rhyl Rhyl (; , ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire in Wales. The town lies on the coast of North Wales, at the mouth of the River Clwyd. To the west is Kinmel Bay and Towyn, to the east Prestatyn, and to the south-east Rhuddlan ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It is managed by the

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) () is the local health board of NHS Wales for the north of Wales. It is the largest health organisation in Wales, providing a full range of primary, community, mental health, and acute hospital se ...

. The hospital is a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. It has no in-patient facilities but is used for a range of outpatient services including

physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

and CAMHS.

History

The hospital has its origins in a convalescent home for sick and needy children established on East Parade in 1872. It moved to the Baths building in 1873 and was renamed the Royal Alexandra Hospital in 1882. Piecemeal expansions occurred until the site for the present building was purchased. The present building was designed by

Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known for his designs ...

, perhaps with later input from his son,

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

, as a children's hospital and convalescent home. The hospital design, which was based on a pavilion incorporating open balconies and verandahs, responded to the importance then attached to fresh air as a treatment. Funding came from voluntary subscription, the town council and the

Duke of Westminster Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ...

. Construction started in 1899 and it was officially opened through a ceremony, first by Winifred, Countess of Dundonald in 1900 and later by Prince George and Princess Mary in 1902. An additional east wing was added to the original central and west wings between 1908 and 1910. During Winifred, Countess of Dundonald's opening in 1900, the names of the wards, which were announced as brief services in each of the rooms by Rev. Thomas Lloyd, (Rhyl's Vicar at that time). The larger wards were 'The Gertrude Ffoulkes Ward' (In memory of the only child of the late archdeacon.), 'The Hesketh Ward' (Named in memory of Winifred's father; Robert Bamford Hesketh) and 'The Duke's ward' (Named in memory of the late

). The smaller wards were 'The Price Roberts Ward' (In remembrance of Dr. Price Roberts, the very first physician who worked at the building) and 'The Graham Ward', there is also an 'Edith Vizard ward'. After acute services transferred to

Glan Clwyd Hospital Glan Clwyd Hospital () is a hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, Wales. It is managed by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. History The hospital, which was built with six operating theatres at a cost of £16 million, opened in 1980. ...

, the Royal Alexandra Hospital became a specialist geriatric facility in 1980. Inpatient services were discontinued in 2009. In May 2020 Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board released plans for a new community hospital as part of a wider refurbishment programme.

References

{{authority control Grade II listed hospital buildings Grade II listed buildings in Denbighshire Alfred Waterhouse buildings Hospitals in Denbighshire Hospital buildings completed in 1902 Hospitals established in 1872 1872 establishments in Wales Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board NHS hospitals in Wales