East Surrey Hospital is a National Health Service hospital in the Whitebushes area to the south of Redhill, in Surrey, England. It is managed by the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.[2]
The hospital has its origins in the Reigate Cottage Hospital which was founded by Dr John Walters and opened in Albert Road North, Reigate, in 1866.[3] It moved to Whitepost Hill on the northern edge of Redhill Common as the Reigate and Redhill Hospital in 1871, and became the East Surrey Hospital in 1923.[3] It joined the National Health Service in 1948.[4]
The current facility, which allowed the closure of the previous facility and of the Smallfield Cottage Hospital, opened at Three Arch Road in 1981.[5] The new building was formally opened by the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, on 3 August 1984.[6] The second phase of building, which allowed the closure of Redhill General Hospital at Earlswood Common, opened in 1991[5] with a formal opening by Virginia Bottomley MP in 1992.[6]
The hospital, a designated trauma unit, offers a wide range of medical services including 24-hour Accident and Emergency, Intensive Care and High Dependency units, gynaecology, obstetrics, midwifery and maternity services, paediatrics and diagnostic imaging, as well as the usual general surgery services.[7] As the nearest accident and emergency facility to London's Gatwick Airport, it is placed on standby when a serious aircraft incident is expected.[8]
Radio Redhill is a hospital radio station broadcasting to the patients and staff of the hospital. It is available on 100.4FM, online and on the hospital's internal radio system.[10] The station won the gold Station of the Year award at the Hospital Broadcasting Awards in 2005.[11]