Musgrove Park Hospital

Description

About Us
Musgrove Park Hospital is part of Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

We are the largest General Hospital in Somerset and serve a population of over 340000 Each year 34000 patients are admitted as emergencies 10000 patients are admitted for elective surgery 28000 are seen for day case surgery 300000 outpatient appointments are held 49000 attend Accident and Emergency 3000 babies are born in the Maternity Department and 170000 diagnostics tests are carried out

We have an annual budget for 201011 of pound230m The hospital has over 700 beds 15 operating theatres an Intensive Care and High Dependency Unit a Medical Admissions Unit a fully equipped Diagnostic Imaging Department and a specialised Childrens Department including a Paediatric High Dependency Bay Musgrove Park also provides Neonatal Intensive Care for all of Somerset We employ about 4000 staff

Musgrove Park has three clear priorities Patient Safety Patient Experience and Making the Most of Musgrove We are committed to the safest possible patient care the best possible experience for patients with us and making the very best of the resources we have

History

The 67th General Hospital was authorised on 3 March 1941 and activated 1 September 1942 as an American Army Hospital and occupied by the US Army Medical Corps


After the war it continued in use as a Ministry of Pensions Hospital and only became a General Hospital within the National Health Service in 1951 The famous Oregon Pine Tree was planted in front of the Old Building by the Americans and it has certainly grown well in our Somerset soil over the years and can still be seen standing proudly today

Many events took place over the years that affected staff and patients in unusual ways Two of these took place in 1978 which was eventful for many and gained considerable publicity the great snow of February 1978 and the train disaster of July 1978

The helicopter became a familiar sight during the snow siege the first landed at very short notice bringing a patient with a head injury an unusual group of staff carried him from the helicopter to the hospital through deep snowdrifts After a few days these flights became routine bringing in mothers in labour and taking out supplies to smaller hospitals

Every hospital has its Red Letter days special occasions anticipated and honoured

Two such for Musgrove were visits by HRH Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1959 and by HRH Princess Anne in 1970 when she opened the Intensive Therapy Unit The Intensive Therapy Unit was paid for by the League of Friends of Taunton Hospitals as the first of many major projects undertaken

A full photographic record produced by The League of Friends Taunton Hospital in the 1970s which will take you through the history of the hospital can be found in the reference section of Taunton Library

With thanks to the League of Friends Taunton Hospital for the above information