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Closure of naval hospital as prelude to new military one-stop healthcare centre
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Prior to MOD?s opening of the new Princess Royal Medical Centre, a formal ceremony was held on Friday evening to mark the move of military medics away from Gibraltar?s Royal Naval Hospital (RNH).
Amidst dramatic thunderstorms, the band of the Royal Irish Regiment performed a Sunset Ceremony at which the salute was taken by the Command Medical Officer, Surgeon Commander Martin Randle. Amongst the VIPs watching the parade were the Hon Lt Col Ernest Britto, Minister for health and Rear Admiral Philip Raffaelli, the Medical Director General (Naval), says the Command British forces.
Naval Hospitals have traditionally flown the Union Flag but, for the last few months, the RNH has been given special dispensation to fly the White Ensign and it was the White Ensign that was lowered for the last time on Friday evening.
The hospital?s Commanding Officer, Surgeon Commander Randle was quick to pint out that his task was ?not to close a hospital but simply to move it to a super, new, all-embracing medical on a new site.?
Designed to treat over 200 in-patients, the RNH originally opened as an Army hospital in 1904 and amongst its distinguished visitors were Queen Alexandra (in 1905) and King George V (in 1912). Known locally as the ?Wedgwood Castle? because of its pale blue walls, the Hospital was transferred to Royal Navy control on 1963. Since 1993, it has provided a ten bed general ward and a five bed maternity unit.
The RNH will be replaced by a new multi-million pound, purpose-built medical facility, the Princess Royal Medical Centre, which will open in Devil?s Tower Camp in late November.
On a single site there will be a one-stop healthcare shop offering a wide range of primary care services, such as physiotherapy, pharmacy, occupational health, a school nurse and mental health support. The same site will also offer such secondary care facilities as radiography, general surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics - as well as Accident and Emergency. A dental centre will also be included in the building.
Surgeon Commander Randle ended the parade by reminding everyone that, ?We may be leaving this building behind ? but it?s really the people that make the hospital.?
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