St Leonard's Hospital, Ferndown Explained

St Leonard's Hospital
Org/Group:Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
Location:Ferndown
Region:Dorset
Country:England
Healthcare:NHS
Type:Community
Founded:1942
Map Type:Dorset
Coordinates:50.8176°N -1.8561°W

St Leonard's Hospital is a health facility in Ferndown, Dorset, England. It is managed by Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust.

History

The facility was built for American and Canadian military personnel arriving at Hurn Airport and was completed in 1942 during the Second World War.[1] At the end of the war General Dwight D. Eisenhower planted an oak tree to commemorate the event.[2] It joined the National Health Service as a geriatric facility in 1948 and, after most of the wartime buildings were cleared away in the 1960s, a small community hospital was established on the site.[1] In September 2018 the Fayrewood Ward was closed as services started to transfer to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Redevelopment of the former St Leonards Hospital: Development Brief. Dorset Council. 11 January 2020.
  2. Web site: Historic water tower to be demolished - but Eisenhower's oak will remain. Daily Echo. 28 February 2016. 11 January 2020.
  3. Web site: St Leonard's Community Hospital due to close this September. 1 July 2018. 11. Mags for Dorset. 11 January 2020.