19 photos capture life at the old Alder Hey Children's Hospital
These photos have been hidden away in the archives for years
Alder Hey is a much-loved Liverpool institution that has been part of the city for decades.
From Alder Hey’s beginnings in the turmoil of the First World War to its present day position as one of the world’s most advanced paediatric hospitals, it has seen medical milestones, celebrity visits, a relocation and more. It was back in 1914 that the doors of Alder Hey opened after the outbreak of the First World War to serve as a military hospital..
After the war, the original building was firmly established as a children's hospital. And by 1944, penicillin was first tested at Alder Hey to save the life of a child with pneumonia - a ground-breaking moment in medical history. Many will also remember in 1993 when the Ronald McDonald House house opened to provide a home away from home for the families of children being treated at Alder Hey.
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Fast-forward to the 21st century, and construction work began in 2013 on a new, purpose built children's hospital. Ground was broken in March that year, and in October 2015, after a five-day transfer period while patients and equipment moved from the old site to the new hospital across the road., the new Alder Hey was officially opened. These photos, recently unearthed from our archives, show the original site from as early as the 1920s.
From what the building was like through time to staff across departments who have worked there, they offer a glimpse into the past. You can see more in our gallery below.
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Extension of nurses home at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, Thursday July 29, 1926, opened the day prior
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Nurses at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, studying in their new reading room, June 129, 959. The library is in a room formerly used as a sitting room in the nurses home adjacent to the hospital. The nurses organised social functions to help equip the library
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Typical ward at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, December 4, 1981
(Image: Mirrorpix)3 of 19![Dr Helen Carty, consultant in charge of X-Ray checks at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, April 10, 1990]()
Dr Helen Carty, consultant in charge of X-Ray checks at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, April 10, 1990
(Image: Mirrorpix)4 of 19![Curtis Robb, British middle distance runner and former Alder Hey patient, returns to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, December 16, 1992, pictured outside the new £1.75 Ronald McDonald House building where families of sick children will be able to stay at the 26 bedroom project, free of charge. He is pictured with Liz Morris, PR manager at the hospital]()
Curtis Robb, British middle distance runner and former Alder Hey patient, returns to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, December 16, 1992, pictured outside the new £1.75 Ronald McDonald House building where families of sick children will be able to stay at the 26 bedroom project, free of charge. He is pictured with Liz Morris, PR manager at the hospital
(Image: Mirrorpix)5 of 19![Kitchen staff at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, April 10, 1990]()
Kitchen staff at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, April 10, 1990
(Image: Mirrorpix)6 of 19![DJ Brian Corless at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, April 10, 1990]()
DJ Brian Corless at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, April 10, 1990
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