ESSEX COUNTY HOSPITAL, COLCHESTER, ESSEX. OPENED 1820...............STILL GOING!!!

HISTORY & INTRODUCTION.........

ESSEX & COLCHESTER HOSPITAL (RENAMED ESSEX COUNTY HOSPITAL IN 1907) WAS THE FIRST HOSPITAL IN COLCHESTER. ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR 1818 BY THE ARCHDEACON OF COLCHESTER, JOSEPH JEFFERSON, IT WAS ORIGINALLY OPENED AS A GENERAL INFIRMARY FOR THE POOR. THE MAIN BUILDING AS IT STANDS TODAY HAS BEEN ALTERED AND EXTENDED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 1818, BUT THE CORE OF THE BUILDING ORIGINALLY FORMED THE SOUTH WING OF THE MILITARY HOSPITAL TO THE SOUTH OF THE TOWN. ONCE THE LAND NEEDED TO ERRECT THE HOSPITAL WAS BOUGHT IN 1819, THE SOUTH WING WAS TAKEN DOWN BRICK-BY-BRICK AND RE-BUILT ON THE NEW LAND ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LEXDEN ROAD JUST WEST OF COLCHESTER TOWN CENTRE. WHEN THE HOSPITAL OPENED IN 1820 IT HAD ENOUGH BEDS FOR 80 PATIENTS IN EIGHT WARDS, AS WELL AS AN OPERATING ROOM. NOTABLE ALTERATIONS & EXTENSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1825 -PORTICO ADDED AT MAIN ENTRANCE, DESIGNED BY WILLIAM LAY, 1839 -TWO WINGS ADDED, DESIGNED BY J. HOPPER (COUNTY SURVEYOR), 1847 -ISOLATION BLOCK OF TWO WARDS WITH NURSES' ROOM, 1879 -WASHROOMS ADDED AT EACH CORNER OF MAIN BUILDING & ADDITIONAL STOREY ADDED IN CENTRE OF BUILDING FOR BEDROOMS. 1897 -NEW LAUNDRY & NURSES' HOME WERE BUILT TO COMMEMERATE QUEEN VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. 1911 -CHAPEL, MORTUARY, DISINFECTING CHAMBER, NEW ISOLATION WARD & PATHOLOGY LABORATORY WERE BUILT. 1914 TO 1918 -TWO WOODEN HUTS WERE BUILT FOR UP TO 150 SOLDIERS WOUNDED DURING WW1. THESE WERE DEMOLISHED IN 1955. 1924 -NEW BLOCK BUILT FOR OUT-PATIENTS, WHICH HOUSED THE DENTISTS', X-RAY & CASUALTY DEPARTMENTS. 1937 -WOODEN HUTTED WARDS CLOSED & TWO NEW WARD BLOCKS OPENED. 1955 -NEW OPERATING THEATRES OPENED. 1969 -POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDY CENTRE BUILT. TODAY (NOVEMBER, 2007), THE HOSPITAL IS STILL OPEN, AND STILL SERVES THE PEOPLE OF COLCHESTER, AS WELL AS FURTHER AFIELD, AS A SPECIALIST CANCER HOSPITAL, AS WELL AS PROVIDING OTHER VITAL SERVICES FOR COLCHESTER. A BIG THANK YOU MUST GO TO THE STAFF OF ESSEX COUNTY HOSPITAL FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND KIND PERMISSION, AND FOR PROVIDING SOME FACINATING HISTORY ABOUT THE HOSPITAL AND IT'S OCCUPANTS.