Rochdale Infirmary celebrates 70 years of the NHS

Date published: 06 July 2018

Rochdale Infirmary welcomed visitors on Thursday (5 July) as staff celebrated 70 years of the NHS.  

Held within the main entrance of the Infirmary, the celebration was attended by Mayor Mohammed Zaman, members of staff, local citizens, and councillors connected to the Infirmary.

The Infirmary provided food and drink, organised by the catering department, with cakes displaying the NHS logo.

There were performances by a folk band and 16-year-old female vocalist, Leah Fisher, who has just graduated from Oulder Hill School.

Information stands were available to browse on the upper floors; documenting seven decades of the NHS and the pivotal moments throughout those years.

Allan Cordwell, Head of the Emergency Planning, Resilience and Response Unit at Oldham and Rochdale, said: “I’m sure everyone can agree that the NHS is fantastic.

“My life was saved by the NHS in 1991 and because of that, I decided to venture into nursing.

“20 years later, I’ve been deployed in Iraq as a medic and worked in A&E departments helping with emergency planning and I couldn’t ask for a more brilliant job.

“All the staff in Rochdale support these celebrations and we hope we can continue to keep staff trained and patients safe for many more years to come.

“Our objective is to always protect and serve.”

The first hospital was instituted in 1832, under the name of Rochdale Infirmary and Dispensary.

A new hospital was provided in 1883 by Thomas Watson, a local mill owner and philanthropist, which became Rochdale Infirmary.

Then, the hospital had 30 beds and two main wards for males and females. One small ward was provided for children.

In 1927, the Infirmary had a total of 110 beds to accommodate patients. The total expenditure for that year was £13,315 and 2,130 patients were treated in the wards.

In 1993, Rochdale became the first town to complete the new methods of nurse training introduced in Project 2000 nursing. This new method required students to cover more theory work before qualifying for a nursing degree, to make nurse care better.

Mayor Zaman commented: “I’ve enjoyed seeing the old pictures demonstrating the Infirmary’s history and how it has developed in serving the community.

“I’m proud of our NHS and the people who work hard every day to make the NHS available.

“The team in Rochdale are brilliant and I hope we continue to grow.”

The NHS was formed on 5 July 1948 and over the last 70 years, has provided services that transformed the wellbeing of the nation, as wealth was no longer a factor that determined a person’s health.

The 70th anniversary events held across Rochdale and Bury were supported by ASDA, Costco Wholesale, Morrisons and We Are Clear.

This event was organised by the Infirmary’s HMR Division of Integrated Care Divisional Management Team.