Birmingham General Hospital

Birmingham General Hospital opened in September 1779 on a site in what became Hospital Street, now part of Summer Lane Birmingham B19 (to the North West of the City). Birmingham’s first dedicated hospital was founded by a committee and public appeal headed by Dr. John Ash (1723-1798) and opened with 40 beds. According to William Hutton, whose 'History of Birmingham' was published soon after, in the first nine months of activity, 529 patients were admitted, of which 303 were cured, 93 relieved, 112 remained on the books, five died, and one was dismissed as incurable. The hospital was expanded in 1757, 1857 and 1880 including the addition of two, and later another two, side wings. In 1792, thirty more beds were endowed by the ‘Lunatick’, Quaker and arms manufacturer Samuel Galton Jr. (1753-1832).

The hospital was financed by a mix of private subscriptions and fundraising activities, primarily its very successful triennial music festivals but also balls, banquets and special church services. The music festivals, held at St. Philip’s Church and later the new Town Hall, were a significant feature of Birmingham’s cultural life for over a century. Another important source of revenue was the Hospital Saturday Fund, initiated by Dr. Miller, Rector of St Martin's Church, which raised roughly £5,000 every three years.

The General relocated in 1897 to a site in Steelhouse Lane, to the east of the City, into a new building, designed by William Hensman following a competition, The original site eventually became a tram depot and later Centro House, headquarters of West Midlands PTE, later Centro. Known as the Terracotta Palace, the impressive new building in rich red brick and terracotta echoed the Victoria Law Courts, which had just been built opposite. The philanthropist Louisa Ann Ryland contributed £200,000 to its construction.

By the time of its transfer to the NHS in 1948 Birmingham Hospital had been rebuilt and enlarged following fundraising by former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who had become a Director.

The Hospital had an important teaching function and until 1964 trained nurses for qualification and membership of the General Hospital Birmingham Nurses League. From 1964 Nurse Training at Birmingham’s specialist hospitals came under the wing of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The Hospital, together with Birmingham Accident Hospital, treated the casualties from The Birmingham Pub Bombings of November 21, 1974. Bombs were planted in two Birmingham pubs, the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town (later renamed the Yard of Ale). The explosions killed 21 people and injured 182 others. Six men - the so-called Birmingham Six - were jailed for life for the bombings but released 16 years later, in 1991, when their convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal.