Ever since Kettering General Hospital opened its first wards in 1897, people in the area have supported the medical facility with fundraising exploits from sponsored bed pushes to charity concerts to supply much-needed equipment.
Located on land on the south side of Rothwell Road donated by the 6th Duke of Buccleuch, the new hospital was to have 20 beds - ten for male patients, ten for female patients - and two private beds, so the hospital would receive some regular income.
Using designs by Kettering architects Gotch and Saunders, the new hospital, funded by public subscription and private donation, was built by Alfred Barlow's company starting in October 1896. The hospital was formally opened on October 30 a year later by the Hon Charles Spencer MP. An operating theatre, consulting rooms, an x-ray department and an eye department were added in the following decade. In 1948 it joined the National Health Service.
Over the years, the hospital expanded and new blocks were added, with the main ward block and Post-Graduate Education Centre and the new Rockingham Wing - maternity and gynecology services completed in the 1970s.
In 1897, the hospital employed five to six people, with four doctors on call a week at a time - now the hospital employs around 4,000 staff, making it one of the largest employers in Northamptonshire.
Members of the public still support KGH with fundraising to provide an enhanced patient experience that would not otherwise be possible due to funding constraints.
Click here to find out more about The KGH Charity Fund that seeks to raise funds to help improve the experience of patients, their families, visitors and staff at Kettering General Hospital.
