Health services '“ was it so different then?

I think not, especially when you read some of the early reports on the development of hospital services in Bognor Regis - and I suspect we were no different to any other authority in the country.

The evolution of a hospital service is quite interesting. Prior to 1918 Bognor town residents had to travel to Chichester for any type of hospital service, and this would have been at a time when road transport was limited and of course not many people then had the luxury of a car.

Any treatment would have involved a long, difficult journey.

The people of Bognor worked together in an endeavour to establish a hospital in the town.

Even the new Picturedrome Cinema in 1919 donated the proceeds from its debut showing to the Bognor War Memorial Hospital Fund.

On July 16, 1919, a house on the Chichester Road known as Springfield House was opened as a voluntary hospital to service the area.

The house had originally belonged to Teresa Mercer, an authoress, who moved there in 1839.

It was a small hospital with only eight beds and, in its first year, the hospital had 76 patients and 40 outpatients. It did not take residents long to appreciate the hospital service and by 1925 the hospital had increased its number of patients to 190 with 244 outpatients.

But it soon became inadequate in servicing an ever increasing population.

The hospital at this time was able to perform operations and also had a massage department and a radiograph unit. But the population of the town increased from 13,510 in 1932 to 18,440 in 1939. During this same period, the hospital remained the same size.

Other things were also changing. There was now a provision of medical care in hospital in addition to the surgical service and the medical profession was now able to provide a much wider service. This meant more beds, nursing and other staff, and also expensive equipment.

Whilst the hospital had moved away from its early concept of a cottage hospital, it had remained a voluntary general hospital.

One of their annual reports commented that the committee who were running the hospital in 1929 had serious concerns that an additional building containing a further 25 beds could be made to pay its way.

However the committee took a serious look at their expenses, which had risen from the annual 1,531.5s.8d to 3,017.10s.9d.due to the increased usage by the public.

There was however one element that was causing particular concern. The annual influx of holidaymakers to the resort was creating an extra burden on already stretched services.

On February 18, 1929, King George V travelled by train from Buckingham Palace to stay at Craigweil House.

For more local history on Bognor Regis click here He spent three months there recuperating from a serious illness.

During his stay the world media focused on this small seaside resort on the south coast watching and waiting for the recovery of the king.

Following the king's visit, both visitors and new residents were attracted to the area for the benefit of their health, which again stretched even further the hospital provision. In 1931, Lord Leconfield JP (Lord Lieutenant of Sussex), using a silver trowel, laid the foundation stone of the new Bognor Regis Hospital building.

Local builder Mr W Seymour was present as chairman of the Building Committee and also in attendance were hospital doctors and other staff to watch the event. The Bognor War Memorial Hospital formally opened on September 24, 1932, containing 29 beds, an x-ray department, outpatients, and administration.

The new hospital displayed in the entrance hall the names of the 324 men from the town, who had given their lives in the First World War.

The hospital was dedicated to their memory and to commemorate King George V's restoration to good health. This was a memorial hospital. Over the years wards and units have been named after notables in the town who have made their own contribution.

By 1933 the hospital was treating 259 patients and 235 outpatients.

They were also able to carry out 189 operations and one particular report advised that the cost per head for in-patients was 8.8s.4d, which averaged out to 9s.4d. per day.

That year, the hospital carried out 58 X-rays.

In 1952, The Observer reported that again the Bognor Hospital was '˜undoubtedly inadequate in comparison with the population of the town', and recounted the fact that the efforts of the community had been responsible for the hospital being handed over as a 'going concern to the National Health authorities in 1948'.

Another extension was added in 1959 costing 10,000 and this at a time when holidaymakers were expanding the population of 27,000.

By 1985, there were major plans for a 4.5 million hospital project. This investment would increase the number of beds and would update the physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, occupational and speech therapy departments.

The car parking was also to be improved. There was a further extension in 1991 when additional funds were raised by the Hospital Friends to provide a magnificent inter denominational chapel, gardens, television sets and many other important items.

The hospital came to the forefront again at the start of 2000 when it was thought that the original building, Springfield's, was to be demolished. This building, which had served so many of the hospital's earliest patients, was not now able to be improved, increased in size or fitted with the necessary access for disabled people.

These plans did not materialise.

Today, the hospital is part of the West Sussex Primary Care Trust and now has a total of more than 55 beds to service the area.

This very busy hospital had in 2000 a total of 1,107 in-patients, and a further 26,857 outpatients.

There is no casualty department only a minor injuries unit open from Monday to Friday, which treats about 12,000 patients in a year.

The hospital continues to be supported by the community.

Of course no one can forget the Friends of the Hospital who held their first fete to help the hospital in 1919.

It was in 1953 that The Bognor Rotary Club first formed the Bognor Regis Friends of the Hospital that was originally known as the Friends of Bognor and Aldingbourne Hospitals.

They have provided so much for the patients and the hospital over the years, in much the same way as the early donations and awards that were made to the hospital

So as we pass the hospital or even visit we should not forget that the original aim was to provide a local hospital service, with support from the locality.

Today the hospital is a modern much used facility, complete with its restaurant.

While this is in distinct contrast to the service provided in the early days of a small cottage hospital, it is very much in keeping with providing a community in the 21st century with up-to-date medicine.