Rutherglen Maternity Hospital Explained

Rutherglen Maternity Hospital
Location:	Stonelaw Road
Region:	Rutherglen
Country:	Scotland
Healthcare:	NHS Scotland
Type:	Maternity
Emergency:	No
Founded:	1978
Closed:	1998
Map Type:	Scotland South Lanarkshire
Coordinates:	55.8242°N -4.2098°W

Rutherglen Maternity Hospital was a women and children's hospital in Stonelaw Road, Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.^[1]

History

Until the 1970s, maternity services in Rutherglen were provided at the Duke Street Hospital.^[2] The foundation stone for the new hospital was laid by a gynaecologist, Sir Hector McLennan, in June 1973. The new building was designed by Frank Campbell.^[3] The local member of parliament, Gregor Mackenzie, welcomed the first babies born there in 1978 and it was officially opened by Princess Alexandra on 18 May 1979.^[4] After 56,000 babies had been born there, it closed on 1 August 1998^[5] in order to consolidate maternity services at fewer locations, on the same site as emergency treatment – despite local opposition to the closure in the preceding years.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

The site is now occupied by a complex of retirement apartments and an extension of the local health centre, the older part of which was built at the same time as the hospital, replacing Rutherglen's older clinic on King Street.^[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rutherglen Maternity Hospital, Rutherglen. National Archives. 2 November 2022.
2. Web site: The Eastern District Hospital . Archives Hub. 2 February 2020.
3. Web site: Rutherglen Maternity Hospital. Historic Hospitals. 2 November 2022.
4. Web site: Rutherglen Maternity remembered through Facebook page. 18 May 2011. The Daily Record. 2 November 2022.
5. Web site: Archive. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board. 2 November 2022.
6. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1995/mar/01/rutherglen-maternity-hospital Rutherglen Maternity Hospital (House of Commons Debate)
7. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12319550.hospital-may-be-sacrificed-rutherglen-maternity-could-close-early-to-save-debt-ridden-victoria-infirmary/ Hospital may be sacrificed | Rutherglen Maternity could close early to save debt-ridden Victoria Infirmary
8. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12287316.gps-plan-takeover-of-hospital-which-is-facing-early-closure/ GPs plan takeover of hospital which is facing early closure
9. http://glasgowpunter.blogspot.com/2017/12/olde-glasgow-hospitals.html Olde Glasgow Hospitals
10. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/dr-anne-forrest-says-farewell-3339201 Dr Anne Forrest says farewell to Rutherglen Health Centre after 32 years