I’ll believe it when I see it! Story of the plans to build a new accident hospital to open in 1974
ln 1964 agreement was reached between the Regional Board and the board of Governors of the United Hospitals, that the new Birmingham Accident Hospital should be built on the Centre Site as Edgbaston as part of the series of developments now taking place there.
£2 million was set aside for the purpose.
The new hospital should have 165 beds, which was fewer than the Accident hospital had originally.
The reduction from original total was being accounted for by the greater efficiency of bed usage that should be possible in a modern building and partly by the fact that the Acci still had the use of 65 beds elsewhere for reconstructive surgery.
In 1965/66 the Medical Staff Committee drew up a document setting out the views on the form the new hospital should take. They appointed representatives to undertake detailed discussions with the Centre Site planning team, the Board of Governors, the architects, etc. The representatives were guided by two principals:
To ensure that the limited amount of money available is spent to the best advantage
To preserve all that is best in the organisation and methods worked out here over the past 27 years.
The relocation was not plain sailing throughout, feelings on occasion ran high with the representatives feeling the need to stand up for their rights against ‘them’
The first stage of planning compromised the drawing up of schedules of the accommodation required. Then followed discussion as to which services and parts of the building it would be reasonable for us to share with other hospitals on the site.
Plans were re-examined light both of the money available and, equally important, of the staff likely to be available when the new hospital opens. The contractor should start work on the site in October 1970, completing the first phase of the building in 1972 and the second phase, in which the new Accident Hospital actually comes, in 1974.
There was confidence that the new Birmingham Accident hospital would provide:
A building which, although physically joined to other hospitals on the site, possessed an identity of its own.
Accommodation far superior to previous buildings, embodying the lessons learnt and conveniently arranged to fit a pattern of staffing and working similar to the previous one.
The opportunity for all established members of the staff to transfer to the new hospital when it opened.
Benefits of the Acci moving included, bringing staff closer with the workings of a general hospital and a university, which was great for a teaching hospital. However, some were conscious of the risk of losing the Acci’s sense of identity and purpose.
Plans were scrapped by Barbara Castle due to an economic crisis.