Norman Burns, patient at Mearnskirk Hospital

CD containing reproductions of five photographs depicting Mr Burn’s time at Mearnskirk Hospital c.1946-1954 (created 2005); Printout of five photographs depicting Mr Burn’s time at Mearnskirk Hospital c.1946-1954 (created 2005).

Norman Burns was admitted to Mearnskirk Hospital twice between c.1946–1954. He currently resides in Australia.

Mearnskirk Hospital opened in May 1930 primarily for children with surgical tuberculosis. To meet the needs of the Education Health Service, children with long-term orthopaedic conditions were later admitted and beds made available for any outbreak of infantile paralysis.

During the Second World War children were evacuated to the Garrison Hospital Millport and Mearnskirk assumed a new role as an Emergency Service Hospital. The hospital never subsequently regained its role as a hospital primarily for children and in 1946 the Surgical Thoracic Unit was opened. From 1955 onwards, Mearnskirk gradually saw the number of children treated drop to below the number of adults. Improvements in child health and advances in the practice of medicine brought about this turn-around, which also led to the hospital’s change of status from Sanatorium to General Hospital in 1960.

By the late 1980’s Mearnskirk had become a solely geriatric unit. When the Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust was created in 1992 Mearnskirk was placed within its jurisdiction.

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Listed by Caroline Torres, June 2005

None expected

RCPSG 52 Dr Alexander Dale (1901-1964) Superintendent of Mearnskirk Hospital.