ALCESTER Hospital was built in 1914 at the beginning of the Great War with the purpose of serving a workhouse situated on the Fields Park Drive site. It has now earned its place at the heart of the community.

When first built, there were four wards, including a maternity ward and operating theatre, containing a total of 44 beds.

There are now two wards with a total of 60 nursing staff, serving Alcester, Studley and Bidford, as well as domestic and catering staff, administrative staff, clerical support and a ward clerk.

There are no doctors on site but they can be called if necessary.

As well as being a short-stay, semi-acute hospital, there is also a 15-place day hospital and a range of outpatient clinics, including dentistry, counselling, physiotherapy, parentcraft classes and an antenatal group.

At the heart of the hospital's appeal to patients who stay there is its very real sense of community.

In early December, the hospital started a new scheme involving four 'nurse-led' beds.

These are for patients who have a high nursing need but not necessarily a high medical need.

They are admitted by district nurses and are then cared for by both district and in-hospital nurses.

Locality manager Helen Edwards said this was a scheme which was already proving effective.

The hospital also faces an exciting future as a project to redevelop it steadily makes progress.

Mrs Price-Gough said staff were looking forward to it, even after the whole process had been in the pipeline for many years without anything happening.

She said once it was completed the hospital would offer a great deal more services which could not be implemented now as most rooms were not purpose-built.

The tenders have now been received and when one is chosen, everyone will be able to have their say on the future.

Mrs Price-Gough said the hospital faced closure in the 70s when many community hospitals were closed.

The hospital is keen to hear from any trained nurses who wish to return to work after a period of absence and anyone who would consider a career at the hospital.

For more details, call Sue Price-Gough on 01789 762470.