Sheffield Children's Hospital

[simonj]

What a great thread and some wonderful stories. I never spent any time in the Childrens apart from out-patient visits for broken bones on a couple of occasions so this insight into the experiences of children staying there is quite fascinating

[danensis]

Matron was unofficially known as "The Enemy". When she came on the ward even the consultants - who in those days were considered demigods - would quake in their shoes.

 

On the other hand the sister tutor was a lovely lady, who always had time to stop and talk to us, and who helped the nurses with their training

 

You can still see the old "out patients" entrance though its bricked up now, and this lead into what we called the "bottom corridor" because it was down a ramp from Ward 2. There was a little used operating theatre down there, and we used to go and play in there, laying on the table and pretending to cut each other open.

 

This is all beginning to sound a bit like St Trinians - so on a more serious note, when I was admitted on Boxing Day 1956 because of problems with my breathing, I had to have an emergency trachaeotomy which took place in a little room between the two operating theatres on the top floor. I could see everything that was going on reflected in the light above my head, so the anaesthetist suggested I close my eyes so the light didn't hurt them - that was just before he cut a hole in my neck.

 

John

[helbco]

I spent much of my childhood in the Children's - from age 2 to 11. (circa '56 - '65).

 

In the early years the regime was harsh and brutal. I couldn't wear my own clothes - we were given 'uniforms' - like the 'workhouse'.

 

Visiting was for half an hour from 6.00 to 6.30 only.

 

The food was awful and we still had to use ration cards for things like milk.

 

For a number of years I was a patient of Ward 4, ruled over by the notorious Sister Brown. I'm sure she hated children!

 

On one occasion she decided to give me an injection while I was looking the other way and that turned into an absolute phobia for many years.

 

On another occasion I was sent to bed without dinner by Sister Brown for flushing my nightie down the toilet with 'Tony'. Tony was also a patient of my surgeon and had no ears (the surgeon was re-creating them) - would love to know how his life turned out if anyone knows about him.

 

Another occasion I remember - after having serious nasal surgery, the trolley came around with supper and they had almost run out (??!) so, despite the fact that I could barely eat, I was served half a dried out pastie that was as hard as nails!

 

I remember Mrs Housley (sp?) who was the cleaner and mopped the badly cracked terrazzo floor every morning - she was lovely.

 

Later, Ward 7 was my regular home and there was a wonderful Sister Day.

 

She was very kind and I went back to visit her 20 years later.

 

Also remember the lovely Nurse Wassenidge and Sister Lofthouse/Aldous.

 

Re mortuaries - I remember looking out of window in Ward 7 and could see a baby (not moving) on a red blanket through a skylight down below - the staff wouldn't believe me for quite a while and then suddenly the skylight was blocked out! Bit scary for a small child.

 

Somewhere else on this site there is a post about the hospital and particularly the Micky Mouse 'rocking horse' that was in the ground floor reception of the hospital.

 

Sheffield Children's has been the site of momentous research and surgical achievements and surely has to be one of the best hospitals in the world. I will be eternally grateful for the treatment I received and in particular (the late) Mr Austin Young, the surgeon, who gave me a life. Without him I would have been cactus!!

[depoix]

the original children's infirmary looked more like a slum dwelling ,here's a little history of it

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/low/people_and_places/history/newsid_8274000/8274970.stm

[danensis]

The NHS was still finding its feet in the 1950s. I remember the cots still had plaques above them saying who had made a donation towards the cost. You wouldn't get that these days would you - people having to launch charity appeals for basic hospital equipment:)

 

John

[helbco]

Yes - I remember the plaques above the beds 'the Princess Mary bed' etc.

 

Also remember the bedspreads - pink for girls and blue for boys and, for some bizarre reason, they were all changed to dark green every night -and then changed back again the next morning!!

 

We never went outside except, if you had been there for weeks on end, there was a little bit of grass between the building and side street and we got to play with a ball for half an hour.

 

It makes sense to have the community committed to supporting health care - as long as the government provides the core facilities.

[danensis]

My comment about hospital equipment was a bit tongue-in-cheek. I don't want to wander off-topic, but our health service relies on voluntary contributions for raising funds for eveything from scanners to hospices.

 

I'd quite forgotten about the changing the bedcovers business. When I was having trouble with my breathing, I had to sleep sitting up. I had a wooden over-bed tray which rested on each side of the bed frame. On this went a couple of pillows, and I slept with my head on my arms, resting on the pillows. My shoulders still haven't recovered from that 50 years later!

 

John

[hillsbro]

...we are a wealthy society with world-leading state of the art medical equipment and buildings.

 

So are we - but there ain't never enough of it..

 

...the more I think about it - it makes sense to have the community committed to supporting health care - as long as the government provides the core facilities.

 

Absolutely right. Here in the UK there are all kinds of fund-raising activities (many Forummers will remember the Royal Hallamshire Hospital's body scanner appeal) and most hospitals (including the Sheffield ones) have "leagues of friends" which do a great deal of valuable work raising funds and providing hospitals with such facilities as the NHS cannot provide. The league of friends of the Sheffield Children's Hospital exists, to quote its website, "to raise funds to promote the welfare and lifestyle of the patients, to assist with the hospital's educational facilities and to provide funding for other projects which come within our remit. The Friends also fund the distribution of toys to the wards at Christmas, and assist with funding for specialist equipment and holidays for needy children and their families in the summer".

[kazads53]

I was in the childrens round about 1958 ,had surgery for hole in the heart(big op in those days)Professor Zackary(spelling??)was the consultant,and the doctor who i saw all the time ,whos name escapes me..was known to me as cheyanne after cheyanne bodie..... which was the best western on the tv at the time ..lol...they were both 6ft 6 ins:love:

 

I can remember also my brothers wernt allowed to visit and my parents for half an hour at a time it was so strict it was unbelievable lol......1978 twenty yrs later i was working at the flower bowl in sheffield interflora delivering bouquets..and amazingly one of my deliveries was to prof zackary for his retirement..it brought a tear to my eye when i gave it to him and told him i was one of his old patients ....oh and i did thank him as well;)

[Mrs H Solo]

I spent some time in Sheffield Childrens Hospital over the years, from aroun 1961 to 1971, for operations on my eyes, I was under the care of Professor Knutt. I remember the cots with plaques, the large toy cupboard and the carol singing. I remember my dad visiting me straight from work and he bought me a huge back full of different chocolate bars and I put it in my bedside locker. The next day it had disapeared, because it wasnt allowed! I was so upset, and my mum shouted at him for spending so much money on sweets which I never got to taste!