Balfour Hospital

Balfour Hospital is a rural general hospital in Kirkwall, Orkney. It is managed by NHS Orkney.

Balfour Hospital
NHS Orkney
The new hospital under construction
Shown in Orkney
Geography
LocationKirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, United Kingdom
Coordinates58.9756°N 2.9644°W / 58.9756; -2.9644
Organisation
Care systemNHS Scotland
TypeGeneral
Affiliated universityUniversity of Aberdeen
Robert Gordon University
Services
Emergency departmentYes
Beds49
History
Opened1845
Links
Websitewww.ohb.scot.nhs.uk/service/hospital-services

History

In 1836, John Balfour of Trenabie set up a charitable trust for the founding of a hospital with the interest from £20,000 worth of Mexican government bonds. In 1845, the trustees of the hospital fund bought the house from local merchant, James Shearer, together with the two large gardens and blacksmith's shop on the west side of the street, for £450. At first known simply as the Orkney Hospital, it became the Balfour Hospital in 1853, in recognition of the contribution of the Balfour family.[1] This building is now the Kirkwall West End Hotel.[1]

A new purpose built hospital in New Scapa Road in Kirkwall opened in 1927.[2] A Macmillan House ward for cancer patients had opened at the Eastbank Hospital in 1993; this was replaced by a Macmillan House ward in the Balfour Hospital in March 2000.[3]

The Groundwater Suite opened in 2011, bringing a new operating theatre, a sterilising department, and new x-ray unit to the Balfour hospital. This £5 million development was named after Bill Groundwater, a distinguished former surgeon from the islands.[4]

A new purpose built hospital designed by Keppie Design and being built by Robertson Group at a cost of £65 million opened in July 2019.[5][6][7]

Services

Balfour Hospital has 48 beds in six wards, a day hospital and a day-surgery unit.[8] There are currently approximately 136 births a year at the maternity unit and it has full accreditation as baby friendly, since July 2014.[9]

Performance

In 2013, hospital mortality figures were the worst in Scotland with a higher than expected death rate in 23 of the last 27 quarters, resulting in 128 more deaths than expected, but the small numbers involved mean that little reliance can be placed on the figures.[10]

References
  1. "West End Hotel, Kirkwall". archived from 4hotels.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2003. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  2. "Balfour Hospital". Historic Hospitals. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  3. "Orkney News Archive". Orcadian. 6–12 January 2003. Archived from the original on 3 March 2003. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  4. "First Minister Opens New Balfour Hospital Development" (Press release). Scottish Government. 2 March 2001. Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  5. "NHS Orkney hospital tops out". Scottish Construction Now. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  6. "New hospital to be named The Balfour". The Orcadian. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  7. "New Orkney Hospital". Premier Construction News. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  8. "Services: Balfour Hospital". NHS Orkney. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  9. "Baby Friendly accreditation: Balfour Hospital". Baby Friendly Initiative. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  10. "Study reveals 538 'excess deaths' at Scotland's worst hospital". Scottish Express. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
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