Staff at Selly Oak Hospital bid farewell to home of 15 years

Jun 16 2010 by Ben Hurst, Birmingham Mail

STAFF at Selly Oak Hospital’s A&E last night bid their home of 15 years an emotional farewell when it finally closed its doors.

The casualty department was shut down in the early hours of this morning with staff, equipment and patients moved over to the new super hospital just under a mile away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The Victorian building had served as the A&E department for 13 years. Kate Parker, now a senior sister, remembered the day it was officially opened. “I was just a junior nurse when I came here,” said Kate, 41. “Everyone was really excited because it was an amalgamation of three other hospitals. It was state-of-the-art back then, just how the new hospital is now.

“I am going to miss the place. It’s sad to be leaving the building but we are going to a bigger and better hospital.” Mum Alice Demuth, 39, was a former military nurse at Selly Oak, but had brought her nine-year-old son Connor Gillespie to A&E last night after he shut his finger in their car door.

She said: “I didn’t realise it was shutting down until I saw the signs nearby. It’s a real shame. I worked here for a few years as a military nurse so when Connor hurt his finger I thought to come straight here.”

Patient Richard Keene, of Sparkhill, agreed. “I always come here if I’ve injured myself,” said the 23-year-old who had pulled a hamstring playing football.

“I think the building is a bit tired now though. They certainly need comfier chairs.”

Margaret Gately, 49, the matron for the trauma unit has worked at Selly Oak since it first opened. “There’s been quite a buzz on the last day,” she explained. “Everyone is very excited about moving to the new hospital. Many are of course sad to be leaving. The move has been such hard work but its nearly over.”