A GLASGOW hospital which has transformed surgery, allowed hundreds of thousands of patients to go home hours after operations is celebrating its 10th birthday.

The New Stobhill, opened in 2009, replacing the old hospital, which was opened in 1904 to provide free care for the poor in the days when patients were required to pay for healthcare.

A unique aspect of the new hospital, was that surgical patients, who would normally have needed an overnight stay, have their operations as day surgery and go home the same day.

Procedures that are suitable for day surgery include hernia repair, removal of breast lumps, examinations and operations of the hands, feet, knee and shoulder, removal of tonsils and investigations of infertility.

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Doctors say, as anaesthetic and surgical techniques continue to advance it is likely that even more procedures will be carried out in day surgery.

Glasgow Times:

Some of these procedures are called ‘minimally invasive’ or ‘keyhole’ surgery. This means that small incisions (cuts) are made in the skin and very slim instruments are used to perform the examination and procedure.

The benefits of this type of surgery are small scars, less pain, less blood loss and a shorter time in hospital whilst achieving the same results as open or more invasive surgery.

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The hospital is also undertaking partial knee replacement surgery on patients who ten years ago would have spent up to ten days in hospital for this procedure and are now being discharged within 23 hours.

Glasgow Times:

Jonathan Best, Chief Operating Officer, said: “It has been a remarkable ten years since the new Stobhill opened its doors to patients.

“The hospital is at the forefront of providing care to the local community in the north east of Glasgow and the staff are at the heart of the care and treatment offered to all patients coming to the hospital.”

More than two million patients have been treated at Stobhill since in opened in 2009.

In 1929 the Local Government Act (Scotland) was passed, transferring poor law hospitals to local government.

Stobhill became part of Glasgow Corporation Health Department and work began to transform Stobhill into a modern general hospital.

Glasgow Times:

In 1931 a much-needed maternity unit of 110 beds opened. In 1938 plans to upgrade Stobhill were made. They included adding 250 beds for sick children and building an out-patient department and accident and emergency block. These developments were postponed when war broke out in 1939.

Stobhill went on standby to receive air raid victims and conscientious objectors, who refused to fight on moral grounds, worked at Stobhill during the war.

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Some staff served with the armed forces. For example, Dr Archibald Aiton joined the navy, serving aboard HMS Martin. He died on 10 Nov 1942 when his ship was torpedoed in the Mediterranean.