The NHS marked its 75th anniversary last week with the role of the Vale of Leven – the service’s first purpose-built hospital to open – hailed locally.
Built between 1951 and 1955, the Vale was created in the face of post-war financial constraints because it formed a part of the Civil Defence Programme – initiated in response to the Cold War.
In the early 1950s Glasgow was considered likely to be a prime target in the event of war breaking out, with plans made for the potential evacuation of all hospitals in Glasgow and the surrounding area.
