Page 27 - NewsandViews 2023 whole publication

Although workhouses were intended for local people who were poverty stricken and had no other means
of support, casual wards were for those with no fixed abode; they were often called vagrants seeking
temporary public relief and stayed in casual wards for brief periods before moving on, and potentially
seeking employment; this was the initial purpose of what later came to be known as Holbeach Hospital.

The story of Holbeach Hospital began in 1937 when a building and a house were constructed on a large
plot of land just outside Holbeach. The two buildings were very much the only buildings set within a
landscape of largely barren fields and very few trees. To the visitor in winter, it must have appeared to be
a very alien environment, that is until the beginning of the growing season when fields of vegetables
would appear. It was in this environment that my father was appointed as ‘Master’ of the new Holbeach
Casual Wards, and my mother as Matron. In addition, my parents were responsible for the running of the
local children’s home that was situated in another part of town. Many years ago, I saw plans of the two
buildings and was surprised to see that there was nothing other than the two buildings. Roadway access
from the lane, pathways, as well as other necessary buildings were all completed under the direction of
my father after he was appointed. I guess it was a daunting task, but one that I could imagine my father
relishing; he always enjoyed and rose to a challenge.

In the years following my father’s retirement, Holbeach Hospital came under threat of closure. In 1988,
with support from the local community and GPs, the hospital was taken over by Holbeach and East Elloe
Hospital Trust, which now runs it as a care home, as well as providing beds for use by local GPs. It is to the
credit of the community that this valuable resource was recognised and supported in a way that
continues to be of benefit to the local community. I am sure that my parents would have been pleased
that the hospital continues to be used to support the community in this way.

The NHS currently faces some of the biggest challenges in its history, but my mind goes back to its biggest
challenge of all, which was to establish something as complex and expensive as the NHS shortly after the
disasters and horrors of wartime when both manpower and finances had been severely decimated. The
fact that it ever came into being was an incredible achievement.

I often hear the trite comment trotted out by current politicians that “The NHS is the best in the world”.
Clearly, it is not, and data shows that most Western European countries achieve far better results than
the UK in the treatment and care of a range of serious of illnesses and disease, such as cancer and heart
related issues. Where the UK does well is in providing the widest range of cover for all its people at the
lowest cost; in other words, the NHS is largely funded by the goodwill of its staff. I personally benefitted
for many years from the care of the Spanish Health Service when I lived in the country; high quality care is
not unique to the UK.

I hope and believe that the NHS will continue to develop and thrive over the next 75 years, but only if
politicians recognise and take action to ensure that the service is adequately staffed and funded. It is
important that staff are valued and rewarded sufficiently to recognise their professionalism and
contribution to society. To fail will mean open house to the horrors of a US style privatised service that
only the wealthy can afford and will be a loss to everyone.

Barrie Mahoney

To find out more about Barrie and his books, blogs and podcasts, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

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