At the royal college of Physicians
and surgeons of Glasgow
and surgeons of Glasgow
Mearnskirk Hospital for Children was an institution for the treatment of tuberculosis, opening in 1930. Situated just south of Glasgow, Mearnskirk was established on a large estate that consisted of a mansion house, several farms and over 300 acres of land.
The hospital originated in response to the high number of cases of Tuberculosis (TB) in Glasgow, known as the "scheme for the Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis in Glasgow." Tuberculosis had been a problem since the 19th century with many cases occurring in overcrowded housing schemes of large industrial cities. Hence, sanatoria were established in countryside locations with plenty of space and open air.
Southfield estate in the parish of of Mearns was purchased for £17,000 in 1913 with the intention of the house being converted to a country home for children with tuberculosis. However, plans were postponed due to the emergence of the First World War. It wasn't until the 1920s that building plans began for the hospital, which was now to be known as the Mearnskirk Hospital for Children. With the original mansion house gone, the new hospital occupied this space and was able to accommodate 500 children under the age of 15 affected by tuberculosis and requiring orthopaedic treatment.
The grounds contained several buildings required for the running of the hospital. There were homes for nursing staff and maids, as well as devoted buildings for the cooking of meals and cleaning of laundry. The pavillions of the hospital were designed in a very particular way to allow maximum sunlight exposure and easy access to the outside grounds for the patients. For example, the pavillions were built facing the south-west and each ward had a glass veranda attached where patient beds could be wheeled out to.
Although the development of the hospital took longer than anticipated, the time was well spent to cater to every possible need of the patients.
