The Royal Isle of Wight County Hospital in Ryde – now sadly demolished – was the Island’s first genuine hospital.
There had been a Leper Hospital in Gunville in the 13th century, but it is unknown when this closed. Until the mid-19th century, the closest hospital to the Isle of Wight had been in Winchester. At that time, there was no regular ferry service from Cowes to Southampton, and patients would have had to be transferred by horseback to the hospital.
The House of Industry – which included a doctor – had been built at the current site of St Mary’s Hospital in 1771. However, it is doubtful that this institution could be regarded as a ‘hospital’ in the modern sense of the word.
The story of the County Hospital begins in 1847 when Thomas Hellyer of Ryde was appointed architect and submitted a design for a 20-bed hospital at a cost of £1,630 (£147,000 in today’s values). The new hospital was intended for the relief of the sick and the poor from all parts of the Island.
The County Hospital was off Swanmore Road after the junction of Milligan Road (then Cemetery Street). Ryde was chosen as the location as it was within 12 miles of 4/5s of the Island’s population. It opened on 9th November 1849, the date chosen as it was the birthday of the Prince of Wales.
The hospital was initially run on strict Victorian lines. The matron and nurses were required to be unmarried or ‘in such circumstances as not to be inconvenienced with the care of a family’. Patients who were discharged, cured or relieved were required to ‘return thanks in their respective places of worship’.
Patients were told to:
“Wash their hands and faces every morning; to be decent and regular in their conduct; and not to swear or use any indecent language.”
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Sadly, the hospital was not available for all – those with consumption, smallpox, venereal disease, epilepsy, and ‘the itch’ were all excluded, along with those considered incurable, the insane, those with inoperable cancer, women with advanced pregnancy and children under 7.
Treatment in the late 19th century was often rudimentary, and nurse training was non-existent. The hospital porter and gardener (George Dash) was said to have been in the habit of extracting teeth and dressing wounds in the absence of the House Surgeon. It took until 1873 for the versatile Mr Dash to be relieved of such tasks, although he continued to dispense medicines until 1898.
The hospital improved and expanded over the years. In 1881, a Miss Milligan contributed £5,500 (£579,000 in today’s values) to the cost of a convalescent home in memory of her parents – her father had fought at Waterloo. The building still stands.
The greatest addition to the County Hospital came in 1899 when Queen Victoria herself opened the Queen Victoria Ward, dedicated to children. Princess Beatrice unveiled a bust of Queen Victoria to commemorate her mother’s Diamond Jubilee. A replica of the bust can still be seen outside the Co-op in Ryde town centre.
The Queen paid a further visit to the hospital in February 1900 – one of her last public engagements before her death the following year.
Over the course of the 20th century, Ryde County Hospital modernised. The first X-ray department opened in 1904, and the first motorised ambulance was provided in 1914. There was no charge for those in dire straits, but anyone who could afford it – or had friends who could – was obliged to pay for the service.
In 1932, a wireless was provided in all wards.
A massive change in attitudes to today can be seen by the fact that in 1933 it was agreed that smoking would be allowed on the wards between the hours of 13:00 and 13:45 and 19:00 and 20:00. Apparently, it was still possible to smoke at the hospital in the 70s – a helpful nurse would bring you an ashtray.
Sadly, the Royal Isle of Wight County Hospital closed its doors in 1992 and was demolished in 1996. Many – but not all – regret its passing.
Positive comments from former patients include:
“Worked there till it closed. Sad day – it was a lovely hospital to work in.”
“My mum spent most of my childhood there as a patient. Lots of happy memories of visiting her and being made a fuss of by the nurses.
“Spent two weeks on the children’s ward when I was 11. I loved every minute of it. The nurses used to let me help look after the babies.”
Less positive recollections include memories of some fearsome German nurses and ‘primitive’ treatment before recent medical advances.
“I had emergency stitches in A&E to my face when I was about 5 in the 60s. I remember being pinned down by nurses to keep me still. No local anaesthetics in those days.
“I was terrified of the place. They put you under anaesthetic with a black mask. I still have mask phobia if I go to hospital.”
“I remember the matron was German and ‘horrible’. When I was 6, I did not like the dried up rice pudding, so she got a spoon of jam, put it on the top and forced fed me until I ate it.”
What are your memories of the Royal Isle of Wight County Hospital? Do you regret its passing? Let us know in the comments…
Great article, such a shame they closed down all the
island hospitals to create the monstrosity of St Mary’s
Better with more smaller hospitals than 1 hospital that
cannot cope.
I spent my 13th birthday on Beatrice Ward. (1974)
My bed was the 1st on the left of the above photo.
It was house of torture
Yes, I remember the cold rice pudding, which, turned upside down, would remain stuck to the bowl. Nurses would add jam to it to make it more appealing to eat. I, too, was forced fed to eat it.
Was this the same German Nurse, Nurse Beer, who worked as a nit nurse? Her son, Colin, used to work at International Stores in Ryde High Street, collecting trollies and brushing up rubbish.
Not keen on the rice pudding myself, their ice cream was okay
I had my appendix removed under emergency surgery in the childrens’ ward December 1962. The most vicious German sister administered the pre-med injection with something akin to a knitting needle – the most painful few moments of my life. Left me with fear of injections for the next 50 years. That said, the nurses were lovely, and I was released just prior to Christmas !
I worked at Ryde hospital from 1972 until 1976 as an apprentice chef and lived in the nurses home in Adelaide place. It was such a happy time in my life
In October 1976, I was a defenseless 5 year old boy, a nurse nicknamed nurse poo, as she worked as a poo nurse, and some others including the sister, gave me an enema, made me take some poo tablets and syrup and then sat me on a bedpan and ordered me to do a big job (a shit) then another one, an oooh one, the another one, then another 1 like a brooding hen until idd been there 5 hours and 300 shits had come out. Almost child abuse and defeintely torture, but admitedly sexually exciting and sat there with a big jackon throughout, but if they did that today theydd be in jail for child abuse
They did make small children sit on the toilet for hours like a brooding hen until their entire intestine was empty
This certainly brings back some memories! First as a patient there in May1956 when I broke my arm high jumping at the Fairway Secondary school, Sandown. Also, my Gran died in there in January 1966. Then when I did general nurse training following my RMN from the old Whitecroft Hospital some of my ward experience time was spent there as well as at St Mary’s. Once SRN qualified, I did work as an RN there for a short time 1971-1972. As someone mentioned; what a shame it was demolished and one hospital only for the Island.