History of Napier Hospital, The

THE HISTORY OF NAPIER HOSPITAL.

The first Hospitals in Napier were military Hospitals, situated first in Onepoto Gully (1859) and then in Emerson Street, approximately where Messrs. A. Simmond’s building now stands.

In 1860 the Hospital was transferred to the corner of Harvey and Sealy Roads, to a building which is still standing, approximately 10-15 patients were accommodated.

It was in 1850 that the Hospital was transferred to it’s present site, taking over the area that was used as, the barracks for various detachments of Imperial Regiments who had been stationed here from 1858-1870. There was also a refuge for old people, on the situate at present occupied by Margaret and Stokes Wards. About 60 years ago, the Old People’s Home at Park Island was established and these patients were transferred to that institution.

It was interesting to note that in the early days, the Hospitals were financed by Voluntary Contributions and Government Subsidy. At one period owing to the Subsidy from the Government not coming to hand, the Tradesman of the town were kept waiting for 3 months for the payment of accounts and the staff were 2 months behind with their salaries. Concerts were held and subscription lists opened. In country districts, shearers were fined for bad work and the money sent to the Hospital fund.

In 1894, 3 Nurses employed by the Hospital were dismissed for the part they took in demanding an 8 hour day, although the 3 shift system had been in operation in Wellington Hospital, since 1886.

Prior to the earthquake in 1931, Napier Hospital took all the patients from Hastings and surrounding districts. The Memorial Hospital at Hastings was then only a Maternity Hospital although emergency cases were admitted and treated there temporarily. Napier Hospital therefore grew steadily as the twin towns flourished. In 1930 the established Bed State was approx. 267.

A high proportion of the patients in those days were suffering from infectious diseases and the numbers in Hospitals were greatly increased from time to time as epidemics of scarlet-fever diphtheria, etc. occurred. A large infectious Block was situated where Ward 4 now stands and occasionally a marquee had to be erected to accommodate extra patients. Nurses who were on duty in the infectious Block live in a Separate Nurses’ Home and were not permitted to mix with the other nurses.

The original Wards, with the exception of Ward 4, were built with money donated by philanthropic citizens of Napier and named after them.

On February, 3rd, 1931, Napier was shaken by the most disastrous earthquake of our N.Z. History.

The first shock, which caused most of the damage, lasted about 3 minutes and another severe shock followed after 5 minutes bringing down many buildings damaged by the first shock.

The Nurse’s Home just recently completed in a Spanish style of architecture, collapsed into a pile of rubble and bare walls. The Hospital itself was damaged, but did not collapse. Margaret, Shrimpton Robjohns and Stokes Wards, however had to be rebuilt. Midgley and Coleman were cracked in laces.

They were re-conditioned in 1932 while the patients were nursed in marquees.

Bridges were quickly required and the patients were transferred to the Greenmeadows racecourse during the small hours of the morning.

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Registered Nurses from Napier and other parts of New Zealand looked after the patients there.

The lunch-room in the grandstand was turned into an operating theatre and light was provided by head-lights of cars.

The water supply was cut off and there was no lighting or sewerage, but soon health inspectors had provided privies, repaired the watermain and provided lanterns, for lighting.

During the morning, Marquees were erected as Wards and equipment was brought from the Hospital. Miss Lambie and Dr. Watt arrived from Wellington and nurses and doctors arrived from many places to help.

Miss McDonald who had retired from the position of Matron some 6 months previously came back and assisted greatly in assembling the records of student nurses and providing information that had been lost.

The student nurses were placed in other training schools throughout N.Z. to continue their training.

Miss E. Roy was Matron at the time of the earthquake but retired soon afterwards.

Miss L. Croft was then appointed. Dr. Biggs was the Medical Superintendent and Dr. Foley was the Medical Register.

Dr. Biggs later went into private practise in Napier and Dr. Foley was appointed Medical Superintendent.

The Hospital remained at the race-course for about 2 months and then when a little order had been restored on Hospital Hill, temporary building and Marquees were assembled for the patient’s reception about where the Robjohns block is now. The nursing was continued by registered staff and nursing aides until June 1933 when Napier Hospital again became a training school. 12 candidates commenced at the time and 10 of them qualified in June 1936. The salary was then £1.16.1 per month and days off were given only every 6-8 weeks.

The present Nurse’s Old Home which used to be part of the Hospital was badly damaged by the earthquake and never used again as Jellicoe Ward and Out-patients Departments.

In 1932 it was reconstructed as the Nurses Home and in the meantime the Staff lived at McHardy Home.

It was due to the tireless service of Nurses and the prompt co-operation of Government and voluntary organizations that order soon replaced chaos after the earthquake and the very real danger of epidemics of disease was averted.

HAWKES BAY HOSPITAL BOARD

The Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board’s area extends from the Mohaka River in the North to Te Aute in the South of Kuripapanga in the West, and embraces the Hawke’s Bay Country Council, Napier and Hastings Borough Council and the Havelock North and Taradale Town Board.

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The Members of the Board are:-

3 from the Napier Borough.
3 from the Hastings Borough.
4 from the combined districts of the H.B. County Council and Havelock North and Taradale town Board.

INSTITUTIONS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE H.B. HOSPITAL BOARD.

Napier Hospital 330 beds.
St Mary’s Ward 30 beds.
Lesley McHardy Maternity Home 30 beds.
The fallen Soldiers Ward Memorial Hospital at Hastings
Maternity Annexe Hastings 40 beds

Staff employed. Approx. 500 in all at Napier.
Total Hastings and Napier Staff 740.

HISTORICAL EVENTS – NAPIER HOSPITAL OF NURSING

1851   Donald McLean. Purchase of Ahuriri Block of 265,000 acres for £1500.

1858   H.B. Province. Population 514. Napier 343.
Arrival 65th Regiment: established in Onepoto Gully and on Barrack Hill.

1859/60   1st Hospital in Emerson Street, by Ritchie’s Shop. 12 patients.

1860-80   2nd Hospital in Sealey Road. Still stands. 2 wards. 10-15 beds.

1870   Master and Matron – Troy, Gray and Raven. Omarunui Battle.

1874   Borough of Napier founded. Population H.B. Province: 9228; Napier 359.

1876   H.B. Province divided into 4 areas – Napier Borough, Wairoa, H.B. and Waipara – 3 Counties.

1875-77   Typhoid Epidemics.

1880   The Barrack Hill Hospital. One storey. 2 wards. 10 Beds. Opened finally on June 30. July 20 – 1st operation. Sequestuctomy [Sequestrectomy] on a boy aged 11.
Acting Matron – Miss Gorgina Stenson.

1881   Staff: Resident Surgeon; Superintended Dr. Menzies; Consulting Surgeon Dr Hitchines; Matron Miss Stenson; 2 nurses; 1 cook; 3 housemaids; 1 porter.

1882   701 Out Patients; 305 In Patients; 19 Deaths. Typhoid Epidemic. Matron Miss Mary Stewart.

1884   Matron Miss Ada Kobect. Case of Small Pox – fatal. First 4 nurses from Wellington – Jenner, Bigg, Hughes, McGilvey.

1885   Gas lighting. Nurse Jenner – Head Nurse and Matron.

1886   Fever Ward built. Named in 1887.

1887   Nurses trained – Jenner, Smith, Paynter. Probationers accepted: Miss Brown – Matron.

1888   Mrs Spenser and Preston begin lectures to nurses. Matron Miss Squire.
Nurse Murphy appointed Night Nurse. Matron Miss Lees.

1889   Trained Nurse – Waldron added to staff.

1890   Head Nurse acting as Dispenser. Nurse Mayson accepted on staff.

1891   53 applications as probationers on waiting list.

1892   Use of thermometers. 7 trained nurses on staff.

1894   Typhoid epidemic. Miss Tutin Matron.

1895   Nurses’ Home built. 10 Nurses on staff. 5 Probationers.

1896   Introduction of water closets.

1897   Tennis Court for Nurses. Second storey added to Hospital.

1898   Hospital Nursing Scholarship to train two Maori Nurses from Hukarere School. Emma Mitchell and Mary Jones.

1900   Matron Sister Margaret Connor. Australasian Trained Nurses Ass. Curriculum accepted.

1901   Use of Dr Thompson’s Rontgen apparatus.

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1905   14 Nurses on staff.

1906   Electric light introduced.

1907  Matron – Miss Edwards.

1908   New Nurses’ Home – 30 beds.
Reconstruction. Addition of Margaret Williams, Children’s wards, Stokes, Midgley and Coleman.

1909   Mrs. Berry – Matron.

1912  Miss MacDonald – Matron.

1914-18   1st Great War. District Nurses appointed – 1st pr Hastings. 1 then Napier later.

1916   McHardy Home acquired.

1918   Influenza Epidemic.

1926   Miss Cassin – 1st district Nurse at Napier.

1929   Miss Roy – Matron.

1931   Miss Croft – matron to 1952.

Feb. 3.   Earthquake. Population: Napier 16025. 190 patients. 100 nursing staff. Killed: H.B. 256; Napier 161; Hastings 93. 8 nurses trapped in Nurses’ Home: Sister R. Mitchell; W. Staines; E. Williams. Nurses M. Insull; L. Stone; J.G. Keddell; N. Thorne-George. Temporary accommodation of nursing staff in McHardy Home.

1932   New Nurses’ Home begun and completed by 1937.

1939-45   2nd Great War.

1950   Napier a City.

1952   Matron – Miss I.H. Henderson.

1953   Ormond House purchased.

1954   Hinepare opened – accommodation 88.

1960   Reconstruction contemplated. Present bed state – 306. Nursing staff – 2 Population: Napier 30,000

1961   Nurse Ann Bruce, Dominion President of the N.Z. Student Nurses’ Association, (Student Nurse 1956-1961) represented New Zealand at the I.C.N. Congress at Melbourne.

1962   Miss P. Goodwin – Matron.

1965   Miss P. Shaw – Matron.