Modern Buildings
The Sheldon Block
The Sheldon Unit was opened in 1967, comprising four wards. By this time, work began on demolishing the house which had been used as a small medical library and accommodation for junior doctors.

Richard Salt Unit
The Richard Salt unit, a seven-story block, was officially opened by the RT. Hon. Lord Aberdare in 1971. The single story wards were then to be upgraded for use by various departments. This unit contained theatres and wards with a total of 194 beds.

Fig 4. Her Royal Duchess of Kent opening the Maternity Unit on 5th February 1974

The Fothergill Block
Originally built as a Maternity Hospital, this seven story building containing a Special Care Baby Unit, Pre-natal Clinic and wards, was opened on 24th October 1967 by HRH The Duchess of Kent. The Maternity Hospital was renamed the Fothergill Block after Dr R. J. Fothergill, a consultant who established the unit and continued working there until 1993.

The Partnership Learning Centre
The major part of the ground floor of this building was the original Postgraduate Medical Centre (PGMC) opened on 15 July 1967 by Sir Max Rosenheim, the then President of the Royal College of Physicians. The late 60's saw the emergence of Postgraduate Medical Centres throughout the country as buildings to facilitate the more structured education, now required as part of the training of junior hospital doctors and medical staff generally. Several consultant staff masterminded the PGMC at Good Hope and the build was made possible by a generous donation from Mr Fred Morris of Wishaw. The building also contained a medical library. In the 1970's came the addition of a lecture hall, which was to provide a much-needed facility enabling Good Hope to host larger regional meetings.

Over the ensuing years, with changes in the education and training of junior doctors, along with changes in the requirements for the education and training of consultants and general practitioners came the need for more space to facilitate teaching programmes. Plans were initially drawn up to extend the PGMC but funding was not available and plans were shelved.

The Education Centre
In the late 1990’s the old College of Midwifery building (former Department of Nurse Education) became available which presented an opportunity to relocate. The building, which would provide additional accommodation, was modified & refurbished. March 2001 saw the opening of the Education Centre & Library, the change of name reflecting its multidisciplinary usage for education and training Trust wide. The Training Department continued to use the old PGMC building whose name had been changed to Education Centre Annexe to denote its relationship to the main Education Centre.

Good Hope Hospital has always had close links with Birmingham University Medical School taking medical students for many years, and again with changes in the training requirements for medical students, student numbers began to grow, along with increased demand for use of existing facilities. In an effort to provide yet further accommodation, the Education Centre Annexe (old PGMC) was refurbished & extended, and the Partnership Learning Centre came into being. April 2002 saw the Good Hope’s recognition as a Teaching Trust in Partnership with Birmingham University Medical School.

Both Centres are run as a single facility and are used extensively by all Trust staff, education and training taking priority. Good Hope can rightly boast superb education & training facilities.

Fig 5. Modern-day Good Hope Hospital

Forming the Trust
The Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust was created on 1st April 1993. It comprised hospitals Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield, a 550 bed District Hospital, and Northcroft Hospital in Erdington, a hospital for the elderly consisting of two 28 bed wards with associated Day Hospital and 40 places for out-patient facilities.

In August 2003 the hospital entered a franchise agreement with a company called Secta to manage the hospital. In October 2005 it was agreed to seek a mutually agreed end to the franchise. Since November 2005 the hospital has been receiving management support from Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.

Treatment Centre
In 2003, construction began of Good Hope’s new Treatment Centre. It will provide outpatient and diagnostic services for our patients. There are also plans for two day case theatres. The first phase, a new endoscopy suite, opened in July 2005. The second phase, the outpatient and diagnostic services, opened in September 2005.