The Alvaston Hospital, known locally as ‘Isolation’ was built on land bought by the Nantwich Joint Board from the Trustees of the Beam Heath Estate. Steps were initiated far back as 1893 by the then Nantwich Local Board to try to exchange land with the Trustees in order to build an infectious hospital. The minutes of the Trustees’ meetings record several entries of a similar nature, but it was not until February 1902 that the Joint Board comprising equal numbers of the Nantwich Urban and Rural Councils were offered a site at Alvaston at a rate of £150 per acre. The hospital was then built this land and opened in 1905.
It comprised three main ward blocks, a nurse’s home which also served for administration, and a further block both as a store and a mortuary.
The two main infections prevalent in the community at that time and which required hospitalisation were diphtheria and scarlet fever. Both of these were attended by considerable mortality. Two of the ward blocks, each having a male and female section. were set aside for these two diseases, whilst the third acted as an overflow for either. depending on current requirements.
The bed total was 32 and the staff consisted of a Matron, a several auxiliary and domestic staff. The late Dr R. T. Turner was appointed non-resident medical officer at its inception and remained thus until his death in 1936. He had the misfortune to contract diphtheria himself in 1924 and became a patient in his own hospital! He was succeeded by the late Dr O. H. Blacklay. With the establishment of the NHS in 1948 the hospital was transferred to the South Cheshire Hospital Management Committee.
With the virtual disappearance of the two main infectious diseases, the hospital ceased to be required. It was for a time an adjunct to Crewe Memorial Hospital until 1972.