Richard Smith Ward

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Record Number: 6.110

Record Type: Text/Image

Caption:

This is a photograph of what used to be Richard Smith Ward, located on the Basement of the Main Building, on the Male Side. In 2006 it was a classroom used by Preston College for students of Jamea al Kauthar, the Islamic College which has owned the building since 1996.
During 2006 nursing students of St. Martins, training to work with people with learning difficulties, visited the site and it is on one of these occasions that this photograph was taken.

Otto Wangermann writes of dropping standards at The Royal Albert during the 1970s. One example was that in 1978 the North - Western Regional Health Authority (which had replaced the Manchester Regional Hospital Board in 1974) ordered the immediate closure of Richard Smith Ward because it was of such an 'unacceptable standard'.
The ward itself was named after Richard Smith who at one time was Vice Chairman of the institution's Central Committee.
(Ref: Wangermann Otto, 1948-1991: The wheel turns full circle p94 in Alston J (selected), Roberts E (ed) (1992) The Royal Albert Hospital: Chronicles of an Era Centre for North-West Regional Studies, University of Lancaster)

Notes:

Please see Records: 6.100, 6.108, and 6.109.

Keywords:

1970s Male Side Poor Conditions Buildings and Layout

Project Processes Basement