I was a student nurse from August 1987 to 1990, most of my student years I lived in the Florence Nightingale Nurses Home, an enormous Art Deco building constructed in 1939 opposite The Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavillion, (also Art Deco).
Both demolished in the new 21st centaury need for speed and commercial acquisition of money I believe.
The nurses home held 500 to 560 nurses and some Medical staff. I also spent many down time hours playing tennis in the four tennis courts provided beside the building for staff recreational use.
The hospital itself was in fact so vast that it was a small village of medical excellence within the city, having all the accompanying facilities such as post office shop, chapel, and a beautiful main hall also Art Deco that I remember having a massive Cecil Beaton portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth, about 30 feet by 60 feet, one wonders where this went?? I received my nursing medal here from The lady provost in 1990 attended by my late father and my sister. I do remember enjoying the free NHS sherry given to us at the time, the one and only time I have ever tasted it!
There was also on the ground floor of the residence a well stocked recreation library for senior staff and 1950s sitting room designed very like the deck room on the Royal Yacht Britannia now in Leith. Many of the books here were original first editions from Victorian writer’s and famous medical pioneers again one wonders where are these books now, at The Book festival, I doubt it.
Whilst the facilities were really in need of renovation during my time in the Nurses home, this building was listed but I believe overlooked by planning regulation as NHS property had Crown Immunity and when sold could be dealt with as the new owners pleased, this would not been the case if a compulsory purchase order had been made by the council.
There are many memories some sad that remain with me not least the suicide of several nurses in the nurses home, there was no such thing as counselling for depression stress or burn out and indeed it could be a lonely life if one was insular and did not make friends easily at or outside work.
On a lighter occasion once the main fire alarm in the nurses home was sounded as an escaped prisoner form the hospital was thought to be in the 1st floor being chased by police, therefore it was evacuated, the headline of News of the World was “Angels in terror in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, however as he was on the first floor he indeed got a shock when realised it was the floor for burly male nurses like myself many army trained, and the terror of being handed over to the police for his safety was palpable.
He was also lucky not to have ended up on the 6th floor as many of my friends had been on duty to long and some of the lady’s were let me say desperate for any male companionship, he would not have survived he he.
This was also a time prior to mobile phones and added technology, there was however one outgoing landline pay phone on the ground floor and for some reason? You could make international calls for 10 pence as it was faulty I remember the que of nurses on a Friday night gleefully waiting to use this one for such a reasonable price- sorry BT was not even in its infancy then !
I also remember a surgeon named Mr Spock- which I always found funny as I was an ardent Star Trek fan and still am!
Many happy memories and sad ones also I have, many wonderful people sadly many deceased, many well cared for patients under exceptionally difficult circumstance, many truly excellent teachers, I believe brought discipline compassion and a fine grounding in my later life, especially as one of my tutors was a major in the Army as well.
I must admit it surprised me greatly and made me a bit less despondent on what was happening too the beloved Royal Infirmary, in that Edinburgh University owns it now, especially as I am a life long learner at Open University, long may this Institution be for people and not just commercial gain !!
Yours Sincerely
Kevin Mclaughlin (Mr) Student Nurse- South Lothian College of Nursing and Midwifery 1987-1990 ERI