The Trust has been around in one form or another since its establishment around the old Darnton Building in 1861 by founders Samuel Oldham and Henry Darnton.
Oldham's stated intention in founding Ashton District Infirmary was to create an institution "for the relief and cure of sick and indigent persons resident, employed, or having been employed within 3 ½ miles of Ashton Town Hall." After its formation a separate workhouse was built nearby, the head building of which was Fountain House.
Upon the formation of the National Health Service in 1948, the old hospital joined with the buildings of the old workhouse (by then, thankfully, closed down) to form the new Ashton-under-Lyne General Hospital, now dedicated to fulfilling the NHS's ideals of providing healthcare to all, regardless of ability to pay. It has continued with this invaluable role ever since, and carries on today.
The hospital changed its name to Tameside General Hospital in 1976, and over the following decades new buildings were built to provide better standards of care for all the people of the surrounding towns of Tameside and Glossop, with the main centre of care shifting from the Darnton Building to the Hartshead Building.
In 2008, the Hospital gained Foundation Trust status.
Today the Trust isn't just a traditional Hospital - it's so much more. Whilst we still offer acute services within hospital when somebody is sick, requires treatment or care, we also offer a wide range of community services. You can see our full range of services within 'Our Services' section of the website.
But we don't stop there. As well as treating people when they are sick, it's also our vision to help people better understand how they can better take care of themselves, resulting in less need for hospital or health and care services. We work with voluntary organisations to help improve people's health in less traditional and clinical ways, something we call 'social prescribing'.
This and other 'preventative' interventions are the future of the local health and care services and in Tameside and Glossop we're genuinely leading the way.