Memories of the Prince of Wales Hospital, Rhydlafar

This page will be used to record individual memories of Rhydlafar Hospital

I started work in Rhydlafar in 1988, if my memory serves me right.  I took the position of phlebotomist to ease my way back to work after having my children.  There were two of us taking blood and all the samples were taken by one or other of us to St David’s Hospital and Llandough Hospital for analysis on a daily basis.  The laboratories at Rhydlafar were no longer working labs.

Rhydlafar was a very friendly small place to work where everybody knew everybody which made for a better working environment.

You were quite fit if you worked there as the corridors all had a slight gradient to them, which amused me as it was an orthopaedic hospital and many patients had difficulty walking if they were wheelchair bound.  Nevertheless we walked miles around the corridors.  You could guarantee the moment you got back to the labs which were the opposite end of the hospital to the wards, you would be paged to return to the wards.

There were many children who spent long periods of time receiving treatment for various conditions who enjoyed racing up and down the corridors near the children’s ward.  But needless to say they were always caught and stopped.  The children were a tonic and made you feel very humble as they were always laughing and smiling regardless of the, often very painful, treatment they received.

There was one surgeon who wrote an article praising the fashion of the day in footwear - DOC MARTINS.  He said they were the best shoes for children’s feet and from an orthopaedic point of view were excellent, and he hoped they remained in fashion forever.  He personally wore them to perform all his surgery and even had patent leather ones for his social life .

I left Rhydlafar in 1990 to take up employment in another hospital.  However I enjoyed my time working there and it had a very good reputation as a specialist hospital.