Author Topic: Sorrento maternity Hospital  (Read 14164 times)

Midwife

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Sorrento maternity Hospital
« on: July 30, 2014, 11:09:58 PM »
  I  found  your  site   quite  by accident  and  have   joined  because  there was no other way , I  could   find     to add  my memories .  I  moved from Norfolk    to   do my  Midwifery  Training  at the  Sorrento Maternity  Hospital  in the  mid  1970's ,   following a successful  outcome    of   my  exams . I worked  there for  1 year     then moved  to   work in KINGSTON   -UPON THAMES .  I am  now  working   further north ,    not as a  midwife, but in  Women's  Health. I have   a  few  personal  photos    sadly  none  are of the hospital  only a   doorway . I  hope that I have  found the   correct  part of  your site  to add my memories  of   Sorrento   Hospital .

Phil

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2014, 09:28:16 AM »
Hi Midwife

Welcome to the forum, your post is fine here, or of you like I can add it to a previous thread concerning the Sorrento here,

http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4846.msg322029#msg322029
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Midwife

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2014, 07:02:22 PM »
 Hello   Phil      Wherever  site   you think is appropriate !   I   have my hospital  badge  and     thought  I   might   try to post a  photo  of  it here . I recall   doing  my  community midwifery  experience  in some   contrasting areas of the locality .   We  either  travelled on the Bus  or  walked .
I shared  a  hospital residence house  with    colleagues on Wake Green  Road  next door to the  hospital.  I  liked the   cosmopolitan community , which I  found  again in  Kingston upon Thames ,  however    although a  diverse  community  where I  now  work, it    fails  to  have the  same  camaraderie.

townie

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2014, 10:32:09 PM »
Hi Midwife. Just a bit of background information for you. In 1911 William Adams built the Sorrento for the refuge assurance as an in situation for the poor and needy. He named it after the popular Italian resort where he had spent his honeymoon and other holidays. The house was put up for sale in 1916 and brought in 1918 by Neville Chamberlain to be used as a home for the disabled soldiers, particularly paraplegics. In 1929 the Lord mayor's Committee took it over as a maternity home for women of low income with local G.P's providing the care (The first G.P. unit).The hospital pioneered various other innovations, for instance staff invented a special incubator cot which was used widely. In 1931 a premature baby unit opened and in 1950 a milk bank was set up. The Sorrento closed in March 1993.           
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

Midwife

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2014, 12:34:40 AM »
Good evening   actually it is  morning  -
 I  decided  to look  through  my   professional  profile  file  and  discovered  my   student  midwife  record book!  Names  of  midwives   and  midwifery   teachers/ lecturers  call  what you  wish,  stirred   memories -  such as     JM Lewis /  A Davis /  E  Phipps .
  On another note ,  my mother had  a friend  who left  Norfolk     after  WW2 , married    and  lived in  Shaftmoor  Avenue   Hall Green,  ,  they    remained in contact   mainly   Christmas,   after  I moved  to  the Sorrento  Hosp.   unbeknown to me  my  mother  contacted her  . One  afternoon   on my day off ,this lady arrived  with a  box  of  cream cakes , which  we  shared  over  a  cup of  coffee.  A lovely  surprise .  Many  years  later  this lady   moved  to live  near her  daughter in Solihull   and  died   in2010  at  the  grand age of 93years.   I also recall having to attend  lectures  when doing  community  allocations   in a  venue  that  resembled   the post office tower building .Not  so long ago  I started my MSc   at what was  then  the university of  Central England , understand it has  been renamed.  It was a long  journey  from North  Lincs  and in the  end I  transferred  to  a   university that involved less travelling ,  Huddersfield  , another place    of  fond memories    as that is  where I  did  my   first  degree, whilst  working as a  ward sister.   
 

Ray Harrison

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2014, 12:39:09 PM »
Hi Midwife, The Sorrento club was always a good start in life my first two sons were born there 1968/1971 . A nice place , my wife liked it there because she and a lot of her family also born there . The only reservation I had was you got rid of the dads too quick  it was only at my third sons birth I was allowed to be there.  Another thing I learnt about midwives was the best place in town for a cream tea is where they have there monthly meetings. As a man I recommend home births.
BUD

Midwife

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2014, 11:14:34 AM »
 Hello   Ray
     Your  first  two  sons  born   a little before  my  time   at   the Sorrento ,  however  I  agree with you ,  in the past   Fathers were excluded.  When I was   doing my  midwifery training   ,  father's  were invited to be  present , although I recall   one  or  two  ending up on the floor !  with a distinct pallor . .  We  even     invited  father's  to antenatal  classes , sadly   there  were not too many  volunteers. Times have  changed   and   quite rightly so .   I   agree  with you  home births  are  more relaxed.

Phil

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2014, 12:02:52 PM »
Hi midwife,


Just as a matter of interest, did the girls from the Laihai Roi unmarried mothers home in Park Hill Moseley have their babies at the Sorrento or did they go elsewhere?
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Midwife

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2014, 11:03:40 PM »
Phil 
  As  far as I can recall   we did  have   some  from there . I remember  doing  a post natal visit  there  when I was  a  student midwife .

Phil

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2014, 10:42:37 AM »
Midwife,

Its just that the place has been mentioned a few times on another forum and it was supposed to be a not very pleasant place.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Midwife

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Re: Sorrento maternity Hospital
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2014, 10:31:43 PM »
Phil
    Those previous mentioned  comments   may well be  correct --  .


 

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