St. Luke’s Hospital, 1948 – 1993 and after

On the foundation of the National Health Service in 1948 Rugby Emergency Hospital became part of No 20 Hospital Management Group which covered Coventry, Nuneaton and Rugby. The infirmary was run as a normal hospital while the County Council retained responsibility for the elderly and infirm being cared for in the rest of the site. The Master and Matron retired on 30th June.

On the 5th January 1949 the new name of St Luke’s Hospital was agreed.

In March the hospital staff consisted of :-

Admin    – 3 full time + 1 part time

Catering & Domestic   – 38 full time + 1 part time ( Cleaners and, Laundry and Kitchen)

Maintenance – 10 full time including porters

Medical   –  1 Resident Medical Officer, 1 Matron, 1 Assistant Matron,
       6 + 1 part time Sisters, 2 + 3 part time SRN’s
       20 + 2 part time Assistant Nurses
       24 + 7 part time Ward Assistants and Orderlies.

Changes quickly took place. Administration was to be via a tied telephone line from St Cross and laundry service centralised. By Jan 1953 the Nursing staff including orderlies had reduced to 62. In Jan 1955 Miss Ryde was appointed as Matron for all three Rugby hospital sites.

The nurses’ training school at St. Luke’s opened on 1st June 1951, eventually offering a full course for assistant nurses.

The areas used by the County Council for long term care of the elderly were known as “Part III accommodation”, because the facilities had to be provided under part III of the 1948 National Assistance Act. In 1959 the old public assistance institutions were still in use for housing the elderly but had been much improved. There were also 9 residential Old People’s Homes. In 1963 the County Council agreed a 5 year Old People’s Homes building plan to replace the institution buildings.The County Council reception centre for tramps closed in January 1962.

The Board Room block was transferred to the hospital in 1953, and became the chest clinic. The X-ray department was moved there in 1954. In November 1954 the decision was taken to stop general surgery at St Luke’s. The new lift tower and day rooms for the infirmary were completed in November 1962. In February 1970 the future of St. Luke’s was already in doubt and the numbers in the nursing establishment were frozen.

The Child development clinic moved to St. Luke’s in 1982, and in 1988 a public appeal paid to convert the Masters House for its use.

On April 1st 1991 Rugby N.H.S. Trust was formed to manage both hospital sites in Rugby.

In November 1992 the developments at St Cross Hospital to replace the wards at St Luke’s were finished. The transfer of patients from St Luke’s was complete by April 1993.

Also in April 1993 the Orchard Clinic building opened allowing the Temple Street buildings to be closed.

The sale of the main part of the site to Barratt Homes was completed on September 22nd 1994. Demolition started soon afterwards and was complete by the end of October. By April 1995 leaflets and newspaper adverts for the new Barratt development at ‘Morton Gardens’, Lower Hillmorton Road appeared through local doors.

In May 1999 the Casual Ward and garden were sold and the building demolished for a new general practitioners surgery. At the same time the Board Room was occupied as offices for a travel firm.