The official opening ceremony for the Patio Garden at the Ramsey Cottage Hospital took place on 7th August 1998 and was performed by the Chairman of the League of Friends and Ramsey M.H.K. Leonard Singer.
There is a plaque on the southern wall of the Hospital at the back of the Patio Garden that has the following text:
'THIS PATIO GARDEN HAS BEEN CREATED
WITH DONATIONS FROM
RAMSEY & DISTRICT COTTAGE HOSPITALS
LEAGUE OF FRIENDS,
SULBY WARD AND THE DAY ATTENDERS.
OFFICIALLY OPENED BY
LEONARD SINGER, M.H.K.
CHAIRMAN OF THE LEAGUE OF FRIENDS
7th AUGUST 1998'
Leonard Ian Singer had been elected as Ramsey's M.H.K at the 1996 General Election. Before that he had been Chairman of Ramsey Town Commissioners and held elected office in the Greater Manchester area of northwest England.
In 2003 Leonard was elevated to the Legislative Council but resinged his position in 2006 and stood again for election to the House of Keys on the issue of restoring 24-hour emergency cover to Ramsey Cottage Hospital. He failed in this attempt to be elected but was returned by the Ramsey in a by-election in 2008.
Leonard was re-elected in 2011 and became Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys in 2013. He lost his seat at the 2016 General Election.
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For over 100 years, Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital has been supporting the north of the Island, and its services are continuing to grow.
Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital serves the north of the Island, including the catchment area of the river in Laxey to Glen Wyllin in Kirk Michael. With facilities including a minor injuries and illness unit, an inpatient ward, and services from physiotherapy to minor surgery, Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital benefits the Island as a whole.
The Ramsey Cottage Hospital was officially opened on 23 July 1907 by the Clerk of the Rolls. The need for a northern hospital was poignantly demonstrated by the untimely death of 4 year old David Anderson who died from appendicitis whilst travelling from Ballaugh to Noble's Hospital in Douglas.
It was David's parents who approached Mr J M Cruikshank, the High Bailiff of Ramsey, who in turn sought the financial assistance of the Trustees of HB Noble's estate, that ultimately led to the creation of Ramsey Cottage Hospital.
The 1907 Hospital consisted of 2 wards, each with 4 beds and 2 cots, 2 single bed wards, an operating theatre and staff amenities. The Hospital has a great tradition of long service amongst its doctors and nurses, with the number of medical staff growing considerably over time. Patient numbers have also increased, as more people made use of the Hospital's modern facilities, including a number of TT riders, wartime Servicemen and internees, holiday makers and shipwrecked mariners.
A timely extension in 1964 met the 20% increase in the Northern Parishes' population head on. A new front door and waiting area greeted patients, and the additional Outpatients' Theatre, Consultants' rooms, X-ray unit and Physiotherapy Department provided greater services to the growing population. Around the same time, the League Of Friends of Ramsey and District Hospitals was set up to help provide for the services that the Hospital delivers, and they continue to support us today.
The Hospital continued to grow throughout the latter half of the 20th century, with the 1990s bringing the creation of the Day Hospital and Resource Centre, and 1997 also saw the opening of the new Theatre block. Moreover, the Hospital continued to modernise with the introduction of a computerised recording system and email greetings for patients.
Thanks to a generous £1.1million bequest from the Cyril John Martin Trust, 30 November 2011 saw the opening of a brand new inpatient ward. Along with the new Martin Ward, the kind donation allowed for the development of a new Training Suite and Library, providing fantastic learning and development facilities for staff, ensuring the best possible treatment of all patients at the Hospital.
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