The General is on the outskirts of Leicester in Evington and hosts the headquarters of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL). It is about three miles east of Leicester city centre and has around 680 beds. The hospital provides a range of medical services including care at our national centre for renal and urology patients.
History Of Leicester General Hospital
On 28th September 1905, Mr Arthur Kemp, chairman of the board of Guardians, stepped forward and cut the tape to open what is now the 'Leicester General Hospital'. The building was completed at a cost of £79,575. It was designed to accommodate 512 patients and was at that time considered very modern and one of the largest and finest infirmaries in England.
The Palace on the Hill
Originally named 'The North Evington Poor Law Infirmary' it was also known by the local people as 'The Palace on the Hill' . Its 16 wards were strictly separated into male and female wards and each one was named after municipal wards in the town. Surrounded by six feet high spiked railings, the gates were kept locked and visitors needed a pass to be allowed onto the grounds or buildings.
A book celebrating the centenary of Leicester General (LGH) from 1905 to 2005 which gives a fascinating insight into the history of the hospital once known by locals as The Palace on the Hill is now on sale.
The book, called "The Palace on the Hill", documents the history of LGH with some emotive photography that will take readers back in time to the laying of the foundation stone in April 1903.
Dr Hugh Mackay, author of the book, said: "The centenary of the General was coming up and it inspired me to capture some memories before they were lost for good. I worked at the hospital for 25 years and in 1988 was involved in a short-lived history group.
"A very brief history of the General from 1905 to 1975 existed, but I was concerned that so many important changes had happened since then that hadn't been captured in print. It took me the best part of two years to put the whole history - from 1905 to 2005 - into a complete book."
To coincide with the centenary celebrations, a permanent photographic display looking back at the history of the Palace on the Hill is on display in the main corridor at LGH.
Pauline Tagg, UHL's director of nursing, said: "We wanted to have a permanent display in our hospitals to give staff, visitors and patients the opportunity to see how the LGH has developed over the last 100 years into a hospital with nationally renowned services."
The book costs just £4.99 and is available at the WRVS outlets at Leicester General and the Royal Infirmary.
