The hospital, which was financed by public subscription to honour the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, was designed by Robert Duncan and opened in November 1889.

[1][2] It served as a Red Cross hospital during the First World War.

[1] An isolation unit for treating people with tuberculosis was added in 1925 and a day case unit was added in 1938.

[1] In August 2014 the hospital was used as a safe refuge for residents of local care homes in the wake of Hurricane Bertha.

[3] The hospital has a small x-ray department with a full-time radiographer who also provides an electrocardiography and pregnancy ultrasound scanning service.