The Development of Local Hospitals - Part 1

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Dr Ghana (first left) and John Berry (first right), Chief Administrative Officer, with administration staff at Daisy Hill Hospital c.1970. Courtesy of Daniel McKevitt

Newry and Mourne Museum’s latest exhibition “Caring for the Community: The Development of Medicine in Newry and Mourne” explores the history and development of hospitals in the area.

One of the oldest known hospitals was a small fever hospital and dispensary located on Kilmorey Street in Newry 1817. The hospital had five beds, four for fever patients and one for accidents, increasing to eight beds in 1830. There was a need for greater medical facilities in the town in the 1830s with a greater number of typhoid cases, exacerbated by a cholera outbreak in 1832. As a result, the hospital was expanded in 1832 and, in 1835, moved to a former windmill on Pound Road.

Two sisters from the Order of St John of God pictured with nurses and patients in one of the wards at Newry Union Infirmary and Fever Hospital at Daisy Hill in 1912. The Sisters of St John of God remained at Daisy Hill until 2000 when the last Sister working there retired. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection

The introduction of the Poor Law in 1838 led to the building of workhouses with fever hospitals on site for the inmates in both Newry and Kilkeel in 1841. From 1856 these hospitals were allowed to treat the non-destitute poor. Nurses were employed to look after the sick and later in the 19^th century nuns worked as nurses in the hospitals.

In 1900 the Workhouse was devastated by fire. However, the complex was soon rebuilt with greatly improved medical accommodation for patients. The Sisters of Mercy worked as nurses at Daisy Hill from 1901 -1904 during which time they had transformed the management of the workhouse. Later in 1904 Sisters of St John of God took over running the workhouse.

Dr Richard Flood was Anaesthetist at Daisy Hill Hospital from 1920 until 1950. His son, Derek, and grandson, Richard, followed him into the medical profession as GPs in Newry. Courtesy of Daisy Hill Hospital

In 1930 the name was officially changed from Newry Union Infirmary and Fever Hospital to Daisy Hill Hospital, with a new medical block with electric lighting being constructed in 1936.

In 1948 the modern era of Daisy Hill Hospital began. On 18^th of March the Board of Guardians who over saw the workhouse was dissolved and the National Health Service introduced. The responsibility for hospital affairs was taken over by the Daisy Hill Hospital Management Committee consisting of 26 nurses, house surgeons and medical officer, Mr Shortall.

In 1964 due to concerns about staffing levels a Nurse Training School was established with training nurses reliving the staffing situation and a consultant obstetrician was requested as the maternity unit had delivered over 1000 babies the previous year. In the late 1960s a new maternity unit and casualty department were built to meet this demand.

Junior Medical Staff at Daisy Hill Hospital in 1987. Front row (left to right): Dr Fogarty, Dr Maeve Lambe, Dr Anne Dooley, Dr Mohamed Iftikhar, Dr Kerr, Dr Pauline Gaskin, Dr Robert Taylor. Back row (left to right): Dr Niall Doran, Dr Pat Fee, Dr David McAdam, Dr John Magee, Dr Keith Edgar, Dr Michael Scott, Dr Max Watson, Dr Brendan Downey, Dr Michael Fearon, Dr Arnie McDowell, Dr Michael McConville, Dr Henry McLoughlin. Courtesy of Dr Arnie McDowell

The Sisters of St John of God continued to work at Daisy Hill Hospital during these years. They had also purchased Courtney Hill House in 1945 to convert into a nursing home. In 1967 they opened the Hospital of the Sisters of St John of God on the Courtenay Hill site providing medical, surgical and maternity services with accommodation for 47 patients. This hospital evolved to become the Newry and Mourne Hospice, established in partnership with the Southern Area Health Board in September 1989 providing palliative care for patients and their families.

During the 1970s Daisy Hill Hospital was at the forefront of the troubles treating many of those injured. John Davis. an orderly. recalled “If we heard an explosion or something on the news, many of the hospital staff would come in on a voluntary basis to give a hand. You learned to cope with these incidents, and everyone knew their job and what to do”.

From the late 1960s there had been an extensive building programme replacing the old workhouse buildings which were then still in use as hospital facilities. On 12^th November 1981 building work cumulated with the opening of the modern tower block with patient services moved from Newry General Hospital to Daisy Hill. Later developments in the 2000s include the Health and Social Care Reform Act establishing Health and social care trusts in 2005 and in 2011, Daisy Hill became a Queen’s University Teaching Hospital.

Next week’s article will look at the development of Newry General Hospital and Mourne District Hospital.

Entry to Caring for the Community: The Development of Medicine in Newry and Mourne is free and the exhibition runs until early September 2023. For further information please contact the Curator at 0330 137 4608.

The Museum is currently offering free tours of the exhibition galleries on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2.00 pm. These must be booked in advance by calling our Education Officer at 0330 137 4422.

Newry and Mourne Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 am – 4.30 pm. Please call 0330 137 4422 or email museums@nmandd.org for further information.

Please visit their website at www.visitmournemountains.co.uk