Trafford water tower to be demolished

Demolition contractor MJ Finnigan Ltd. have announced on their website a contract with the NHS to demolish the water tower at Trafford General Hospital. Other buildings to be demolished include a lodge at the hospital entrance, an outbuilding and two administration blocks. This company are one of the largest demolition contractors in the UK and sadly, for BWTAS, have previous form in the demolition of water towers.

Trafford General was once known as Park Hospital and has figured significantly in Manchester's history. It was here in 1948 that Nye Bevan symbolically accepted the keys to open the National Health Service. On 22 May 1959, the writer and singer Morrissey was born at the hospital.

Timeline

1926: Work began to build the hospital. It was initiated by the Barton-upon-Irwell Union, a body created in 1849 in line with the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834’s requirement for parishes to create unions that would make provision for their poor.

1928: The hospital opened to patients on 17 December 1928 being officially opened by the first Princess Royal (HRH Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles) on 1 June 1929. When the Local Government Act of 1929 got rid of the poor law unions, ownership of the hospital passed to Lancashire County Council.

1939: the hospital was taken over by the War Department for use by the Armed Forces – first, by British troops and then by the 10th US Station Hospital. It treated services personnel from many nations. Glenn Miller and his US Army Air Force Band entertained troops on the lawns. Boxer Joe Louis was another visitor during that time. The Americans left in July 1945 and it was de-requisitioned in September 1945.

5 July 1948: the then Health Minister Anuerin 'Nye' Bevan arrived to inaugurate the NHS by symbolically receiving the keys from Lancashire County County. Nurses formed a 'guard of honour' outside the hospital to meet him. The National Health Service was born and, from that day forward, the healthcare of the nation changed forever.


Sylvia Diggory (nee Beckingham) became the first NHS patient – she was 13. Before she died, Sylvia said: "Mr Bevan asked me if I understood the significance of the occasion and told me that it was a milestone in history - the most civilised step any country had ever taken, and a day I would remember for the rest of my life - and of course, he was right."

The hospital also witnessed the first baby born under the NHS, 6lb 11oz Sandra Pook. Now called Sandra Howarth, she lives in nearby Eccles and shares her birthday with the NHS.

1988: re-named Trafford General Hospital in 1988 and is now controlled by Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust, formed in 1994 following a reorganisation of the NHS.

2008: Today, the hospital has 530 beds, employs 2,100 staff, treats 24,000 in-patients in a year and handles 175,000 outpatient appointments.

Became the first hospital in the UK to introduce a highly innovative system to track blood from the donor to the recipient, improving patient safety for which it received a national Health Award.

Contact

MJ Finnigan Limited. 2nd Floor, Station House, Stamford New Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 1EP. T: +44 (0)161 924 2253; M: +44 (0)7870 865959; E: sales@mjfdemolition.co.uk

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