Ninewells 1974-2014
Planning & Construction
Before the close of World War II, the Secretary of State for Scotland arranged a survey of hospitals throughout the country to inform future development. The Eastern Region report focused on the inadequate accommodation at Dundee Royal Infirmary and Maryfield Hospital, concluding that neither site was suitable for providing a modern hospital with associated medical school. With the formation of the NHS in 1948, the new Regional Hospital Board lost no time in addressing this issue. In agreement with the University, it decided that a new hospital and medical school should be built on a single and accessible site on the edge of Dundee. The Secretary of State approved the idea in 1949.
The Ninewells site was obtained in 1955 after lengthy negotiations. Subsequent rapid progress through the design stages was followed by delays and difficulties during construction. A full quarter of a century after the Secretary of State gave approval in principle, Ninewells Hospital eventually opened for business in 1974.
Image above: The hospital site in 1965 (private collection)
Image above: Lord Hughes laying the foundation stone, 1965 (courtesy of NHS Tayside)
Image above: Preparing the site, 1966 (copyright DC Thomson & Co Ltd)
Image above: The first cladding panel fixed into position, 1966 (courtesy of NHS Tayside)
Image above: Under construction, 1968 (copyright DC Thomson & Co Ltd)