Manchester Royal Infirmary: East Wing

THE NEW EAST WING OF THE MANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY - Probably few of those who have observed in passing the advance to completion or the new wing of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, fronting Portland Street are at all aware that various wards within it are already occupied by inpatients of the institution, yet such is the fact. The new wing has been furnished, as regards several wards, and have been tenanted with male and female inmates for about a fortnight past; and on a visit, we paid to the wing the other day, we found the benevolent advantages of the institution in full operation. The first patients removed thither were surgical patients; but there are now, of course in different wards, both medical and surgical patients in the new wing. The new erection, which is now completely a part of the older edifice - the corridors connecting the wing with the body of the building on every floor - consists of a basement storey, and three storeys above, the ground floor, first floor and attic storey. Each floor is divided, by a central corridor extending the whole length of the wing, into two ranges of wards or other apartments; one on the west side, lighted from the front of the wing, and the other (east side) from the back, which into the large court or yard of the Infirmary.

THE BASEMENT STOREY - One of the principal apartments in this storey, in the back or east range, is the cook's kitchen, a spacious place, with huge fire-place and every convenience for cooking. Adjoining, and communicating with it, is the back kitchen, which has in one corner a door opening to the hoist - a double one - by means of which, coals, water and other provisions, be promptly convoyed to any of the floors above; and the ashes, etc., sent down from those floors. The back kitchen communicates with the yard and sunken passage, extending outside the whole length of the wing. Adjoining the back kitchen is also a pantry, or store. Near the kitchen in a small area, are the furnace and boiler, for supplying hot air for ventilation (besides affording escape for foul air from the wards), and hot water for baths, and other purposes to the entire wing. Next the kitchen are the stairs to the ground floor; and beyond them, extending to the north end of the wing, is a suite of rooms which have no doors into the corridor, and can only be entered from the outside. These were originally intended for the dead-house, the coroner’s room, etc., but it has been determined that rooms for these purposes shall be afforded in the other, or west wing, when it shall be erected. Accordingly, the present destination of the rooms mentioned is for washing and getting up linen for the whole establishment. One will be a wash-house, another a laundry, a third a drying, and a fourth an ironing room. One of these rooms is large, the other three are small. Their windows are of rough fluted glass. In the east, or front range are eleven rooms; the five north of the stairs intended for bedrooms for the men-servants of the institution; and those south of the stairs, for cellars for various stores, coals, wood, milk; and opposite the kitchens, a pantry and a larder. These are all the rooms south of the corridor of the main building or centre of the Infirmary; but there are two or three rooms north of that corridor, yet in this wing. The north-east corner room is the housemaids’ room; across the wing corridor, and fronting Piccadilly, is the servants’ hall, where the servants generally will dine.

THE GROUND FLOOR – Entering from the east portico, fronting Portland Street, the first front room on the left of the entrance hall is assigned to the matron. It communicates with the adjoining store-rom, the walls of which are lined with cupboards, shelves etc. Beyond the store room are three spacious lofty rooms, not yet assigned, but probably for sitting or bedrooms for the principal resident officers of the institution. We may remark that it is intended that all the gentlemen (except, perhaps, the house surgeon), who are resident officers, shall have their sitting and bedrooms in this wing, and, we believe, on the ground floor. The room next the entrance hall to the south is destined for the house apothecary, and adjoining and communicating with it, his bedroom. Next to this is the clerks’ room. On the east or back of the corridor, at the south end of the wing, are three spacious bedrooms, the end one probably for the matron. Next to these three rooms will be a room for the physicians. Next to it is a dining room for the resident medical and other officers, of whom eleven, and the matron, dine together. Adjoining is the waiter’s pantry, with kitchen, grate, oven, sink, water taps, etc., and the hoist is close by. Near this is a room for the medical apprentices. Across the long corridor in the north-east corner is a large room, originally intended for the museum; but it is considered scarcely large enough, and it is intended to make it the room for the medical officers of the institution. Formerly the museum occupied one of the houses in Portland Street, now pulled down, and the collection is now deposited in the cellars of the Infirmary.

FIRST FLOOR – This floor is devoted entirely to female patients, and is already to some extent tenanted by them. The long ward on the west side of the corridor, extending to the south end of the wing, is the finest ward in the building, being nearly 80 feet in length, lofty and wide; and when we visited it, there were in it 17 beds for female patients. An ante-room, with the usual conveniences, adjoins it. The corresponding ward on the other side of the corridor, is not quite so large and contains 13 beds for female patients. It had also its ante-room. The ward next the colonnade of the portico, is not yet fitted up, and is for the present used as a store-room for furniture. Next this, and communicating with each other, and the principal nurse’s room or kitchen for this floor (duly fitted up with the usual requisites), and her bedroom. Opposite and south of the stairs, is the scullery, a very neatly fitted up rom, like a kitchen, with dressers, cupboards, hot and cold water, taps, sink, etc., and the floor covered with sheet lead. Attached is an ante-room, at present used as a work room for the seamstress, who has charge of the whole of the linen of the establishment. We understand that the female patients assist in sewing. Adjoining this is the bathroom, with hot and cold water baths, shower and foot-baths, etc., and the hoist room. Across the long corridor is a small square ward, which has five beds for female patients. Next to it, fronting Piccadilly, is a ward of six beds for female surgical patients, and opposite is another smaller ward of three beds.

ATTIC STOREY – This floor is exclusively for male medical patients. The long ward above that on the first flor contains, like it, 17 beds; and the one opposite 13 beds, mostly occupied by patients.  Each has an ante-room with washing apparatus, hat and coat pegs, etc. The ward next to the portico is at present unoccupied; it has a similar ante-room. Next are the chief nurse’s kitchen, and communicating with it, her bedroom. At the back, or east, south of the stairs is the scullery of the floor, and next to it a bedroom; adjoining that a bathroom, over that already described in the first floor. Next to this is the hoist room. Across the long corridor on the corner next to Piccadilly is a square ward of five beds; and the next room facing Piccadilly is a ward of six beds for surgical patients; and opposite it, next to the infirmary yard, another small ward of five beds, also for surgical patients. All the rooms of this floor have vaulted or arched ceilings.

Amongst other alterations deemed necessary in the course of erection, it was found that light and air enough would not be obtained, if the corridors were made to return, instead of being carried to the outer walls. This rendered it necessary to sacrifice two small room on each floor; but the gain in point of light, and the instantaneous direction of a current of cold air through the whole of any floor, were advantages which more than compensated for their loss. Each end of each corridor now terminated by a window, they are both light and airy. They are arched in the roof, and are very superior to those of any other infirmary or hospital with which we are acquainted. WE have referred to the ventilation. Warm air is admitted to the ground floor by metal gates in the stone flor, near the walls of the corridor; in the upper floors by slits in the skirting boards. All the rooms on every floor are well-lighted by gas. Communication with the upper floors is ample, there being besides the new stone staircase in the wing itself, no fewer than three others, from the centre or body of the edifice, leading to the long corridors, by which access to any floor of the wing can be had. Thus, physicians and surgeons visiting their patients have no need to descend one flight of stairs and ascend another. Every floor throughout the body and wings of the edifice will be open from end to end. The new wing gives considerable additional accommodation to patients, and when all the resident officers are removed thither, their present rooms will be available for patients or otherwise, Still, the applications for admission to the infirmary are more numerous than can at present be accommodated, and when the state of the times will admit of it, another effort must be made by public subscription, to erect the west wing. [Manchester Guardian 19 August 1848 page 9]

Reference           Manchester Guardian 19 August 1848 page 9