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The Hillingdon Hospital Cache Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Professor Xavier: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it. Please note that as this cache has now been archived by a reviewer or HQ staff it will NOT be unarchived.

If you wish to email me please send your email via my profile (click on my name) and quote the cache name and number.

Regards

Ed
Professor Xavier - Volunteer UK Reviewer
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Hidden : 3/8/2012
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:

The cache is not on the Hospital grounds. It is, however, close by and you can clearly see the Hospital.

Be careful as there are muggles around 24/7.

Difficulty increased due to the presence of the Muggles.

You are looking for a nano!

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Hillingdon Hospital is an NHS hospital, located in Pield Heath Road, Hillingdon, Greater London. It is a general hospital serving the local area, providing a wide variety of services including Accident and Emergency (84,000 patients annually), In-patients, Day Surgery and Outpatient Clinics. It is an incredibly busy hospital, possibly due to the proximity of Heathrow Airport.

It is one of only two hospitals run by The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the other being Mount Vernon Hospital.

The hospital has a PALS office based on site, The Hillingdon Consulting Rooms for private patients and its own hospital radio station (Radio Hillingdon) staffed by volunteers.

History

In 1744, Hillingdon Vestry decided to build a workhouse. Finding a suitable site proved difficult, but it was finally decided to build it near Colham Green. The work on this was completed in 1747.

By 1830, the workhouse had grown considerably in size, and it was decided to expand it to accommodate male and females separately.

The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 resulted in the building of the Uxbridge Union Workhouse on the site in around 1838.

Middlesex County Council took charge of the Uxbridge Union buildings in 1930 and began development into the Hillingdon Institution an acute hospital.

Rapid progress was made and the hospital was significantly improved enlargened in 1932. This included replacing the wooden floors with concrete ones (the wooden ones being too weak to cope with the weight of an operating theatre table and equipment.

The hospital was damaged by bombs in October 1940, causing much damage. There were no casualties, and the hospital was moved into temporary accommodation. This proved to be unpopular, and following the war, the number of beds in the hospital declined due to a lack of staff. The Medical Director of the time Dr. W Arklay Steel was concerned at the condition of the hospital. In 1948, when the NHS took charge, the hospital consisted of a series of temporary buildings in varying states of disrepair.

In 1957, it was agreed to rebuild Hillingdon Hospital. Following this, in 1960, the maternity wing of the hospital was opened and is still in operation today.

Sir Arnold France, Secretary of the Ministry of Health opened the current Hillingdon Hospital on 10 January 1967. It had cost £3.2 million to build. It provided seven new wards including the provision of some single rooms, outpatients department, imaging department, Accident and Emergency services, Operating theatres and recovery suites, pathology laboratories, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and a canteen.

It was heralded as being an innovative new hospital, with a central vacuum system and piped oxygen throughout. Wards were named alphabetically, with K for Kennedy Ward being at the top of the hospital.

In December 2008, Bevan Ward was opened. This ward, named in honour of the founder of the NHS, Aneurin Bevan, consists of three clusters of eight ensuite patient rooms. Each cluster is slightly different in design, allowing detailed research into patient satisfaction, sleep quality, privacy and infection rates This has been heralded as the future of hospital care in the UK.Patients and staff alike are very pleased with the new facilities, with some describing it as a five-star hotel. It was visited in 2009 by Health Secretary Alan Johnson who was apparently struck by the patient satisfaction.

The newly refurbished Fleming Ward opened in November 2009.

An eye clinic at the hospital received an award in 2010 from the Macular Disease Society for its work in Macular Degeneration.

The hospital trust became an independent NHS foundation trust on 1 April 2011.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Jr'er urer gb cebgrpg lbh... Naq gur pnpur!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)