When Huddersfield Royal Infirmary was officially opened in January, 1967, it was hailed by the Examiner as “one of the most modern in Britain”.
In a January 27 front page piece we reported on the opening ceremony led by Huddersfield-born Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
Attending at the town’s new £5.5m general hospital were 350 guests including the town’s two MPs, Mr J.P.W. Mallalieu (Huddersfield East) and Mr Kenneth Lomas (Huddersfield West).
Mr Wilson, accompanied by Mrs Wilson, had earlier waved to the crowd outside the George Hotel where he had lunch before proceeding to Lindley to the new hospital.
The Mayor and Mayoress (Ald D Graham and Clr Mrs E M Graham) were present, with representatives of surrounding urban authorities.
The report stated: “The windows of the six-storey building above the entrance were lined by about fifty staff and patients, who cheered as the Premier entered accompanied by Mrs Wilson...
“The Prime Minister said he was glad in the middle of more extensive travels to be associated with developments such as the new Huddersfield hospital.”
The old Royal Infirmary went back to 1831, and over the years had served Huddersfield well, the newspaper added.
Mr Wilson himself recalled when it was 100 years old and the fun there had been in the hospital carnival over 35 years ago.
The report added: “But the facilities it could provide had not kept pace with developments and those facilities were not what people had a right to expect.
“When the National Health Service was begun in 1948, the Leeds Regional Hospital Board decided that something had to be done.
“The plan had been the subject of much discussion and controversy over the years and there had been questions about bureaucratic delay.”
The Mayor told Mr Wilson it was a pity that he could not stay over until tomorrow to watch the Cup-tie between Town and Chelsea.
“Then he (the PM) saw a familiar face - that of his old school friend Clr Harold Ainley. He greeted him with ‘Hullo Harold, it’s nice to see you again’ and Clr Ainley then introduced his eldest grandson, four-year-old Anthony Ainley.”
The new hospital, with 528 acute beds, takes the place of the old Royal Infirmary in New North Road.
“The roots of the infirmary, however, go back further than the building of the old infirmary premises, for in 1814 the Huddersfield and Upper Agbrigg Dispensary was established at the Pack Horse Yard, primary to cope with the influx of zymotic diseases brought home from the Napoleonic wars.
“The founders’ object was ‘relief of the industrious poor of the town and district’.”
The new infirmary “has 243 more beds than its predecessor”, the paper noted.
