- Joined
- Jul 2, 2015
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A bit of the history:
Stratheden Hospital, or Fife and Kinross District Asylum as it was first known, opened on July 1st 1866 and was purpose built to accommodate up to 200 mental health patients. The first chief physician, Dr Tuke, was regarded highly as a doctor who changed the traditional methods of mental health care and helped pioneer the "open door" policy of the hospital. The reporting commissioner was impressed by this and noted that not one of the patients had abused it, including an inmate from Perth Prison who had been transferred to the hospital. The patients health benefited greatly from this advancement in treatment and it was noted by the reporting commissioner that this led to the patients becoming "more contented and less destructive."
In 1873 Dr Tuke retired and it was noted in a report by the local health commissioner that under his care the hospital had undertaken "a steady progressive improvement" and had assumed a "very prominent place among the asylums of Scotland." Dr Tuke was replaced by Dr Fraser, who continued with the hospital in a similar fashion. He in turn was succeeded by Dr Brown, who unfortunately was thrown from his horse and carriage and tragically killed, a tragedy noted as a "melancholy event which caused great loss to science as well as to the institution" by the commissioner of the time.
In 1896 the hospital underwent a vast extension programme in order to ease overcrowding. It was described by the reporting commissioner as "a valuable and instructive advance in asylum administration". Over £20,000 was spent, in order to increase the capacity of the hospital to 600. In 1900 the Springfield estate was completely purchased, and by 1905 two new hospital wings had been opened, to accommodate the large influx of in-patients seen by the hospital at the time.
The proceeding years following Dr Turnbull's resignation followed as stabley as the era would allow. When, in 1947 the National Health Service was created, the hospital system was completely re-organised. The NHS Act 1947 brought in new measures and organisational structures throughout the country, and Fife was no exception. The Springfield Mental Hospital Group, which was the governing body for the surrounding local mental health hospitals, was changed to the Fife Mental Hospital Board of Management. The NHS Act was implemented fully by 5th July 1948. On the 7th July 1948, just two days later, it was decided that Fife and Kinross District Asylum was to also undergo a name change. Implemented in January 1949, Fife and Kinross District Asylum was changed to what we now know as Stratheden Hospital.
The Explore:
So this was stop 3 of the day after a very early set off and long drive up north. With a lot of the site still being in use it took us some time to find a good access point and after an hour or so of loitering we managed it 
The visit was nice but it disappointing that a lot of the doors inside were locked and this massively restricted where we could venture which meant we weren't able to see the nice long corridor here :/. We didn't spend a great deal of time here and after climbing through the same ball ache of a door too many times we called it.
The visit was nice but it disappointing that a lot of the doors inside were locked and this massively restricted where we could venture which meant we weren't able to see the nice long corridor here :/. We didn't spend a great deal of time here and after climbing through the same ball ache of a door too many times we called it.
Definitely worth a visit and would be one to add to the list of re-visits!
Not many pics from here but worth the visit
Cheers for looking!
