75 years of care at St Joseph’s Hospital, Newport

1650

The Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy were founded in Le Puy, France (now an international community of over 11,000 sisters, they live out Father Médaille’s original vision in communities found in 53 countries around the world).

Early 1940s

The three founding sisters were sent to London to train as nurses, before the opening of the nursing home – a term coined by the government at the time for private hospitals.

1944

The Sisters of St Joseph’s registered charity purchases Claremont House at Malpas and it becomes a convent.

Claremont House in the 1940s

1946

The convent officially opens as St Joseph’s Nursing Home. It has just 16 beds and 314 patients in the first year. The first surgical operation is performed on February 11, 1946.

Sister Bernadette in the 1940s

1948

The welfare state comes into being and patient numbers rise to 427. Clearly there was a need to enlarge.

1950s

Great change and advancement in both medicine and nursing meant expansion. Land around the hospital was sold and a new hospital created.

1961

The new St Joseph’s Hospital opens its doors in 1961 offering 52 beds.

The hospital in 1961

The hospital entrance in the 1960s

A 12-bed maternity unit is added to serve the needs of a growing population.

Nurses with babies at the hospital in the 1960s

Late 1960s

Cardinal Heenan and Archbishop Murphy of Cardiff visit the hospital and the new maternity ward.

An important visit in the 1960s

Sisters in the chapel

1977

Pope Paul VI sends a message of encouragement and support to the sisters at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

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Late 1970s

A number of celebrities have visited the hospital over the years, including Sir Antony Hopkins and Kate Adie.

Sir Anthony Hopkins was one of the celebrities to visit the hospital down the years

Pop star David Essex pays a visit to the hospital

Kate Adie with Friends of St Joseph’s Hospital

1980s

The friends of St Joseph’s Hospital was set up by volunteers to fundraise for the hospital and later for St Anne’s Hospice.

Sister Susan wasin charge of theatres – she is the current Sister Provincial.

1990s

The sisters are still actively involved in St Joseph’s Hospital.

The founding sisters

2014

The hospital is bought by a consortium which sees a multi-million pound investment into a world-class Advanced Diagnostic Centre, complete with state-of-the-art scanning facilities. By this time staff numbers have increased to 177.

2020

The hospital isacquired by a local private investor and benefits from a major £4 million refurbishment programme to become one of the safest and best-equipped private hospitals in the UK.

During the pandemic - St Joseph’s commits its entire staff, bed capacity, diagnostics, theatres, facilities and expertise as part of the national response and collective effort to support the NHS.

A new market leading MRI scanner is unveiled by Sister Susan as part of a £1.3 million project.

Fifty new roles are advertised as plans are announced for a new Day Surgery Unit, to open in spring 2021.

2021

St Joseph’s celebrates 75 years of care

Jess Fishlock, Wales’ most-capped female footballer, opens the refurbished Physiotherapy Centre.

A stained glass window is removed and presented to the sisters as part of the ongoing refurbishment.

The future

St Joseph’s mission for the next 75 years is to continue to place the patient at the heart of everything and provide the highest standards of patient care with compassion and kindness in a safe environment.