Celebrating 100 years of Haslemere: Photo recreated to mark centenary | News

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust has celebrated the centenary of Haslemere Community Hospital by recreating a historic staff photo.

To mark the 100 year milestone of the hospital, the Trust invited colleagues to help them recreate a staff picture dating back to 1923.

The ‘then and now’ images will form part of the on-going archive of the hospital in Church Lane, Haslemere.

Chief Executive, Louise Stead, said: “There is no doubt Haslemere Hospital has a rich history and is deeply rooted in the lives of many people.

“Looking back at pictures over the last hundred years gives us a fascinating snapshot of the transformation of healthcare and the progress that has been made.

“Haslemere Hospital has changed and evolved and today it is an integral part of the Royal Surrey family, which is cherished by the local community.

“This new staff image will become an important part of the story of Haslemere Hospital and help those in the future understand our present.”

The history of the hospital dates back to 1898 when a local solider had an unfortunate cycling accident and needed emergency treatment.

There was nowhere nearby to get help and it prompted the people of Haslemere to ask for their own facility.

A tiny four-bedded cottage hospital was built up the road in Shepherd’s Hill and served the local community for the next 25 years.

The town outgrew this hospital and a new, modern building was proposed.

The land of the recreation ground was donated and £35,000 raised by local people to build the hospital we know today.

It was officially opened on 20 January 1923, by then Conservative Lord Chancellor, Viscount Cave.

In 1948 the hospital came under state control with the birth of the NHS and in 2018 it became part of Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust.

Today Haslemere Hospital has 16 inpatient rehabilitation beds and is home to a busy Minor Injuries Unit, which has an x-ray department and is currently open seven days a week. It also holds numerous outpatient clinics.

It sees nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and occupational therapists work alongside GPs to ensure patients, with frailty and complex needs, receive the care they need close to home.

As part of the centenary celebrations, Haslemere Hospital’s League of Friends has funded a visual timeline of key milestones in the hospital’s history that has gone on display in the patients’ waiting room and assisted with decorating the hospital.

The League also hosted a small tea party for staff and patients to mark the official birthday which took place on January 20. This was also attended by a small number of former staff, who shared photos and memories with the current team.

Rose Parry, Chair of the Haslemere Hospital’s League of Friends, added: “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with the team from Royal Surrey to mark this historic milestone.

“It is our intention to host a larger event in late spring where we can further celebrate the contribution that Haslemere Hospital has made to our community over the past hundred years.”