The Royal Alexandra Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Frenhinol Alexandra, 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 (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

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

. It is managed by the

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr) 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, commun ...

. The hospital is a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. 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 one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

X-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

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 the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...

, perhaps with later input from his son,

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

, 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 of Westminster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. It is the most recent dukedom conferred on someone not related to the ...

. 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 five 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". After acute services transferred to

Glan Clwyd Hospital Glan Clwyd Hospital (Welsh: ''Ysbyty Glan Clwyd)'' 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 � ...

, 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