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Report - - North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, Numerous Visits, Sep 2018 - Sep 2019 | Asylums and Hospitals | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, Numerous Visits, Sep 2018 - Sep 2019

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KPUrban_

Surprisingly Unsurprising
Regular User
The NSRI
For most reading this place has been probably done to death more than any other location in human history. For myself this places doesn't really get old numerous operating theatres, endless medical wards and corridors tick most boxes as my ideal location.

Anyway, on with the report.

The North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary can be traced back to it's routes in 1804 with a hospital being built in northern Stoke-on-Trent, an area known as Etruria, as "The Of House Recovery" which was later rebuilt in 1815 as the North Stafforshire Infirmary and Eye Hospital on area of land know as "Wood Hills". This initial hospital was to treat those living within the areas of the potteries where conditions lead to outbreaks of epidemics especially in the workhouses. In 1802 a committee gathered to encourage to the opening of this medical dispensary. The hospitals reconstruction in 1815 was simply due to the need for expansion something which would similarly effect the hospital in this report.

By 1861 The current building was suffering, a report prior noted the building was "cracking in various directions" and since then things had only got worse. 1862 saw another meeting to relocate the hospital to a new location, with Hartshill and Kingsfield being the two options. With hartshill being chosen in the end, several arguments had sprouted even while the group was still choosing between the two sites, the purchse of the land and cost of construction bought the new infirmary's price to over £33,000 (Roughly £4,042,000 in today's money).

The foundation stone off the new hospital was laid by the Duke Of Sutherland in 1866 marking the incoming change within hospital care. Around three years later the Duchess of Sutherland opened the new hospital in December 1869. From the opening date the hospital saw constant development and expansion with some residents of North Staffordshire donating money from their wages.

By 1869 renovations has taken place installing and upgrading the theatre department costing at the time £1000. Since then the theatres have been modenrised but still retain some original features such as the large windows and tile work.
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By 1999 and 1901 the hospital had a new X-Ray Department and started to have full electrification. 1902 saw the foundation stone laid for the new nurses home which later opened in 1904 which today retains some of its original features.
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1910 saw the appeal for funds which would allow for the construction of a new outpatients department and over £34,000 was raised to do so. The first world war was 175 beds set aside for the wounded with 100 places in wooden huts across the road from the hospital, this was fairly common with hospitals back in the first world war. After the war the hospitals growth continued with the establishment of an orthopedic department in 1919. The scale of the hospitals growth and success lead to King George V allowed the addition of "Royal" into the hospital's name, becoming the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, who then later laid a foundation stone for the new X-Ray and Orthopedic medical blocks.

Later by 1933 new casualty departments had opened as well as an update of the theatre departments. 1937 saw the Duke of Kent open the new radiology department and the campaign for new medical departments, pathology and updates to the nurses home which were completed in 1940.
By now the second world war had already begun and a few days after these upgrades had completed the connections to the theatres, orthopedics and nurses home were bombed. Apart from this slight inconvenience the hospital continued operations as before focusing on modernisation after the war had finished.
By 1946 the National Health Service, NHS, was set up with hospitals being allocated separated boards for each region with the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary joining in 1948. Even after this the NSRI saw no slowing if its constant grown and modernisation until plans were made to move services to the new Stoke University Hospital. 2012 saw the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary vacated in favour of new facilities.

More in depth history can be found here ( http://penkhullhistorysociety.co.uk/north-staffs-royal-infirmary/ ) and places such as Wikipedia.

The Explores.
As the title would suggest I've been here more than once and infact 4 times
Twice in September 2018: Both rather easy visits with no problems from security to bother us although my photography skills were crap at the time so photos from these visits will be limited.
March 2019: Things changed slightly with security boarding up windows in the original theatre department which reduced light and made entry awkward.
September 2019: This was a spontaneous visit as we were nearby and I wanted to see a few bits we missed.

Funnily enough there are still areas we are yet to access which raises the question of, what is wrong with us? and how could we not cover the whole place in one visit yet alone 4?

Photos

The theatre departments, starting with the original 4 theatres. These rooms vary with different lamps and designs, although they all focus on general surgery.
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Pair of ALM lamps with a microscope.

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Pair of Amsco Polaris lamps.

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Cardiology theatres.
These three rooms are often mistaken for A&E usage.
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And Neurology.

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The rest of the hospital.

Examination room
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Corridors
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ICU Ward.
Most others were the same so one photo should do.
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A&E Admissions Ward.
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Underground Kitchen.
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And to finish this up
Entrance Hall.
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Thanks for lookin.




 

host

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nice one. Still yet to do this need to more of an effort. Done really nice decay
 

KPUrban_

Surprisingly Unsurprising
Regular User
A quick update on things here.

Original Block corridor. Kitchens just below with the children's ward to the left and main entrance behind.
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Original block from outside. Taken where the hospital to nurses home connection stood. Operating theatres to the left, chapel would have been just to the right and the children's ward and other buildings on the background.
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Original operating theatres department, all mostly intact minus the one with the 2 small ALM lamps.
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The Polaris lamps sitting on the floor surrounded by doors and debris.
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That pair of lights that used to work.
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Behind the modern block and A&E
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One of the surviving corridors
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One of the cardiology theatres, still as it was minus doors and some other bits.
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One of the best surviving areas.
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