Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife has led a debate in the Scottish Parliament to mark the hundredth anniversary of the opening of Perth Royal Infirmary.
Liz Smith MSP said:
“Long before I became an MSP in 2007, I became very aware of just how much Perth Royal Infirmary has a special place in the hearts of many residents across Perthshire and Kinross-shire and rightly so. The staff who have worked and who currently work at the hospital have provided first class care –in many cases, life-saving care - to the local community over the past 100 years.
“2014 is, of course, a big year for national commemorations, but it is important not to forget that many local commemorations will also be taking place and for Perthshire and Kinross-shire in two weeks’ time on 10th July that means marking the hundredth anniversary of the opening of Perth Royal Infirmary.
“It is unquestionable that our public health services have come a very long way in the intervening 100 years. Life expectancy, for example has increased from 49 and 45 years for women and men respectively at the turn of the last century to 80 and 76 for women and men today; infant mortality has fallen by over 100%; and if, in 1914, pneumonia, influenza, and tuberculosis were the most common cause of death they are now amongst the least common.
“Today, on the news, we hear about a quadruple amputee being accepted for a pioneering operation in Leeds to provide her with two new hands and, in the last few weeks, two major Scottish universities have continued to make their outstanding contributions to the provision of ground-breaking cancer care.
“Of course, the first half of the 20th century also saw major improvements in access to, and standards within, the system of public health provision, some of which built upon the Education Act of 1908 providing for compulsory medical inspection of school children.
“Major reasons for these significant improvements are due to advances in medical science and technology and to better education, but also to the dedicated professionalism of our doctors and nurses and vast numbers of support staff who do so much for our patients, and it is to them that we pay tribute this evening.
“For Perthshire, the development of the national health service saw the Perth City and County Infirmary completed in 1838 by city architect William Macdonald Mackenzie. The hospital saw multiple changes, but eventually proved too small for the growing City of Perth’s requirements. James Miller was then commissioned to design a new hospital and began work in 1912 on the Glasgow Road site, two years later seeing the new Perth Royal Infirmary open its doors.
“Perth Royal Infirmary was opened on July 10th 1914 by King George V and Queen Mary, as part of their Scotland-wide tour. Accompanied by Troopers of the Scottish Horseguards, the Royal couple paraded along County Place amidst a sea of local support. At a time when women did not have the franchise the events that day saw protests from leaflet-wielding suffragettes. Reports state that a startled King was confronted with one of the radical ladies who latched onto the Royal car and was unceremoniously dragged behind it before being arrested. Fortunately, these incidents did not spoil the day too much and Perth Royal Infirmary was opened as planned.
“The intervening hundred years have seen many changes and, with health services increasingly becoming centralised as a result of the rationalisation of services at national level, there are significant challenges for PRI in terms of its future place in the community. As such, many residents across Perthshire and Kinross-shire, and many staff within PRI, have - on an on-going basis- expressed their concerns that the removal of services such as the maternity ward, paediatrics, pathology, and weekend surgery will ultimately lead to the end of Perth Royal Infirmary as an acute District General Hospital. This is something which needs to be fought against at every opportunity and I hope this centenary anniversary will, not only celebrate the past, but also reaffirm the commitment from NHS Tayside to ensure that Perth Royal Infirmary remains a fully equipped acute District General Hospital to serve what is a quickly growing population of Perth & Kinross.
“It is very clear that Perth Royal Infirmary has been a precious asset for the local community, providing not only many local jobs and high quality healthcare throughout its hundred year history, but it has also brought many people together. This centenary provides an opportunity to both thank and acknowledge the staff – both past and present – at PRI. The first class medical care given to patients from numerous communities and backgrounds is a testament to their professionalism and dedication.
“Looking to the future, there are huge challenges in the realms of providing specialised health care which has to reflect changing needs and changing social structures. These challenges have been acutely felt at PRI and we know only too well that there are deep-seated concerns amongst the local community about what exactly this will mean for the future of PRI, particularly in terms of the availability of health services and staffing levels. If the highly successful Hands Off PRI campaign taught us anything, it was the strong bond between the hospital and the local community and I am sure we are all clear that nothing must happened to undermine the ability of PRI to provide what has always been a first class local hospital. I thank them for their service and wish the hospital well in the future.”