Dates: 1753 -
The Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire, England, is one of several hospitals serving the Portsmouth Urban Area. The Royal Hospital Haslar officially closed as the last military hospital in the UK in 2007, and is now used by the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. It currently serves both military and civilian NHS patients.
In 2009, the 200 military personnel remaining at Haslar will move to the new Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU) at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth, which was opened in 2005.
Haslar has a number of specialist facilities including a decompression chamber and a zymotic isolation ward.
The Royal Hospital Haslar began as a Royal Navy hospital in 1753. It has a long and distinguished history in the medical care of service personnel in peacetime and in war.
In 1902 the hospital became known as the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar (abbreviated to RNH Haslar).
In the 1940s, RNH Haslar set up the country’s first ’blood bank’ to help treat wounded soldiers from the Second World War.
In 1966 the remit of the hospital expanded to serve all three services - the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force.
In 1996 the hospital again became known as the Royal Hospital Haslar.
In 2001 the provision of acute healthcare within Royal Hospital Haslar was transferred from the Defence Secondary Care Agency to the NHS Trust. The Royal Hospital was the last MOD-owned acute hospital in the UK. The change from military control to the NHS, and the complete closure of the hospital have been the subject of considerable local controversy.
The last military-run ward is ward E5, a planned orthopaedic surgery ward. The ward encompasses 21 beds in small ’rooms’, and is run by the military staff with some NHS colleagues; the ward manager is a serving military officer. The ward is served by both military and NHS doctors; the ancillary staff are non-military.
The ward is due to close in 2009 along with the rest of the site and military staff will move to new posts within MDHU Portsmouth or other units around the country.
To mark the handover of control to the civilian NHS trust, the military medical staff marched out of RH Haslar in 2007, exercising the unit’s rights of the freedom of Gosport.
The staff consisted of Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army led by a band of the Royal Marines. The Gosport citizens are said to deeply saddened by the closure of Haslar and there are campaigns to keep the hospital open. Gosport politicians cite that that the UK is the only country in the Western world not to have a dedicated Military hospital, run by and for its military staff - who understand the needs and ideology of the service person. At present, most casualties from conflicts return to Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham.
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving Royal Naval Hospital Haslar
" Well someone needs to sort this site out. First I am told I am not a full member then I get timed out. On the local news tonight it was a sad day for Gosport as the military personnel marched out of Royal Naval Hospital Haslar which is being decommisioned on Friday. There is to be a new ..."
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"Pat the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar closed to service people a couple of weeks ago but is still treating NHS patients until 2009 but there is a fight on to save it. "
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" Quoting: vicky codling nee bassett Pat the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar closed to service people a couple of weeks ago but is still treating NHS patients until 2009 but there is a fight on to save it. Hi Vicky, Isn’t it a damn shame. The Military Hospitals are for our soldiers and their ..."
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" 22 years ago today my mother died. She had been battling cancer and was doing well but after an overnight stay in hospital for a transfusion of packed cells she came home having also been given a fatal infection. She died 5 days later from gas gangrene. Having started training ..."
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"Pupil Nurses Class of1964-1968Royal Naval Hospital Haslar
Yvonne Reeve
Served at HMS Mercury ’67-June ’68 then left to marry
LSA Jim Gillman of HMS Dolphin. Would love to here from
any of my fellow nursing buddies."
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