Layout of the Main Ward Block

The Main Ward Block was designed in 1968 and 1969 in the new "race track" design in regards to the corridors, and each bed bay was to have a row or 5 windows to let in natural light. Construction commenced inbetween 1971 and 1974. The image on the right is a copy of the actual architects sketch of the floorplan of the new Main Ward Block from Fielden & Mawson.

The Main Block was not immediately accessible from the street, it was built with 1 and 2 storey annexes surrounding it, these were the maintenance and goods inward/outward areas and corridors to other parts of the hospital.

The ground floor, annexes and corridors to other parts of the hospital
The ground floor, directly underneath the main towerblock was where the operating theatres and recovery unit was as well as the staff kitchen and the hospital kitchen which had 2 service lifts to all floors, so food, medication and laundry could be transported up and down the towerblock. The intensive care unit was also on the ground floor. The theatres had a reception area. The operating theatres did not let in any natural light due to being well within the building. A long corridor ran down the operating theatre department towards the Maternity area.
 * N&N_Main_Block_Ground_floor_design_1968.pngOperating Theatres, Recovery Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Kitchen Department, CSSD Department, Pharmacy Dept, Supplies Dept, Goods Inwards, Staff Kitchen.

The image on the right is a scan of the original designs by the architects of the ground floor of the main block including the goods inwards, maintenance and kitchen departments.

General Layout of floors 2 to 9
The general layout of the 2nd to the 9th floor was each floor had 12 bed bays, the 2 ones at the end of the building had 4 beds and the 4 ones facing both sides of the building had 6 beds. Each bed bay had a sink. Looking at photos of the wards, it appears many bed bays had a TV above the bed. (See this link https://imsvintagephotos.com/norwichhospitalsnn2448783?search=norwich%20hospital%20gulf&description=true) In 1993, a patient is pictured in his hospital bed recovering from several operations. You can clearly see a TV and sky satellite dish above his bed. (https://imsvintagephotos.com/simonlongewifesarahandsonbenjamin2401078?search=norwich%20hospital%20simon%20longe&description=true)

On the south side of the building, the lift foyer was in the middle of the south side, with a few rooms either side then the 2 adjoining bed bays. In the corners of the MWB was a room, accessible from the bed bays. On the north side, the layout was pretty much the same in terms of the bed bays and medication rooms etc but there was 2 stairwells and a service corridor behind the bed lifts which opened onto the foyer. The room behind the central stairwell was a family room, and the room behind the lifts on the north side was a staff room.

Facing the other way, next to the bed lifts was 2 service lifts. On the other side of the bed lifts was a stairwell to all floors, deep in the centre of the building. The kitchen facing the back had 2 small service lifts which backed onto the corridor.

The central strip, aka the rectangular part surrounded by the 2 main corridors and 2 main side corridors had an access corridor about a quarter of the way in on each side of the towerblock.

The 1st floor
The 1st floor was the admin area, WRVS Shop and main foyer to the lifts to all floors, and the corridors to the Main Entrance, which was accessible by 2 roads which had ramps and a few pedestrian stairwells. The 1st floor also had a High Dependency Unit. This was the unit for people who had just come out of Intensive Care.
 * Main EntrN&N_MWPPIE_2nd_floor_layout.pngance (Accessed from road ramp), Administration, Toilets, WRVS Shop, Intensive Therapy, High Dependency Unit, Telephones And Ashby Ward.

The 2nd floor
The 2nd floor had the Acle and Alpington Wards, which was the elective orthopaedic wards, such as wards for patients with broken bones or operations to remove tumours.
 * Acle and Alpington Wards

The 3rd floor

 * Brooke Ward and Barford Ward, Taylor Unit, Cardiology Effective Bay, Discharge Lounge, Low Dependency Unit
 * The 2nd floor contained these 2 wards which was part of the orthopaedic areas. This also contained the Discharge Lounge. The Discharge Lounge was on the west side of the lift foyer as was the Low Dependency unit. The Discharge Lounge I think overlooked the Norwich city centre at the back of the MWB.

The 4th floor

 * Colney Ward, Claxton Ward
 * The 4th floors contained the 2 above named wards. Both named after the parishes in Norfolk with those names.

The 5th floor

 * Diss Ward, Trauma and Surgical Emergency Unit
 * This floor had the Diss Ward and also the Trauma and Surgical Emergency Unit, used for cases where such treatment was needed. Probably a ward for patients who have had emergency operations or were recovering from general operations after being bought back from the recovery rooms of the operating theatres on the ground floor.

The 6th floor

 * Eccles Ward and Ellingham ward

The 7th floor

 * Filby Ward, Fe N&N_MWB_west_wards.pnglthorpe Ward/Felbrigg Unit, Clinical Investigation Unit (Filby Ward) 
 * This floor contained the Filby Ward, named after Filby near Great Yarmouth and also the Felthorpe and Felbrigg Wards. The Filby ward also had the Clinical Investigation Unit. On a personal note, Filby is the name of a village I grew up near.

The 8th floor

 * Glandford and Gresham Wards. N&N_MWB_Childrens_Ward.png
 * The Glandford Ward, on the west side of the central lift foyer/core was for the elderly patients who were physically and mentally ill.
 * The Gresham Ward had a bed bay which was used as a classroom on the north side of the ward. See image right.
 * The Gresham Ward on the east side of the central lift foyer/core was the children's wards, which had play facilities/classroom. These wards were also known as the paediatric wards. These wards were probably one the upper floors due to the nice views over the Norwich skyline for the children to enjoy.
 * The bed bays at each end of the Glandford and Gresham Wards were in the form of cubicles, 4 beds in 2 bed bays at either end of the MWB.

The 9th floor
The 9th floor was the Horsford and Hethersett wards. The Horsford Ward had the Coronary Care Unit which had 6 beds. The Hethersett Ward overlooked St Stephen's Road.
 * Horsford and Hethersett wards
 * The Coronary Care Unit - Horsford Ward

The 10th floor
The image on the right is the architects design of the top floor of the Main Block, how the top floor was to look once completed. The greyed in areas of the corridors were areas that were to have carpets. However carpets were later added to other areas of this floor.
 * Ingham and Irstead Wards N&N_Main_Block_top_floor_design_1968.png
 * The Ingham and Irstead Wards were the private rooms, single bed wards. Each of the 2 wards had 20 single bed rooms.

Central Stairwell
Next to the bed lifts on the lift foyer was the central stairwell which ran up from the ground floor to the boiler rooms at the top of the Main Ward Block. This stairwell was used for visitors, staff and engineers as well as a fire exit. The lifts were to the right of the bed lifts and were accessible from the main foyer.

The fire proof stairs went up 12 floors, with 24 flights, one flight leading to a landing halfway inbetween each floor then onto the next flight. As you got onto the landing walking upwards on each floor, there was a set of double doors to the left leading onto the lift foyer then as you were going down the double doors were on the left leading to the service corridor.

The stairs were right in the middle of the building, furthest away from the outer walls and windows.

Service Corridor
Each floor of the Main Ward Block had a service corridor on the opposite side of the central areas to the lift foyer at the front. The service corridor ran along the back and it linked up the north corridors of the towerblock, thus linking up the wards on that side. The service lifts were next to the bed lifts but the bed lifts opened out onto the lift foyer whereas the service lifts opened onto the service corridor. These lifts were used to carry food, medication and waste up and down the towerblock.

Day Rooms
There were day rooms for patients to watch TV and read. Otherwise known as the common room.

Kitchens on each floor
Each floor had a kitchen which had 2 service lifts which went down to the ground floor main kitchens. The individual floor kitchens probably made tea, coffee and other drinks for the patients on the wards while hot food such as breakfast, lucnh and dinner was made in the main kitchens on the ground floor.

Stairwells On South side of the towerblock
Near both corners of the south side of the Main Ward Block was a stairwell, which was a fire exit as well. The stairwells were fire proof.