BOURNEMOUTH'S health services experienced great change as staff and residents waved goodbye to 134 years of care at the Royal National Hospital with a farewell party.

Although the event took place on November 11, 1989, the building in St Stephen’s Road closed in December to be redeveloped as a mental health unit.

The out-patient service relocated to Boscombe Hospital while the in-patients were shared between there and Bournemouth General.

But there were long faces at the party attended by the mayor, staff, friends and patients.

Matron Brenda Morgan who served at the hospital for 25 years, said: “I will miss it very much.”

And ex-patient Stanley Benjamin added: “I’m sad it’s closing.”

The hospital was built in 1855 to deal with the Victorian scourge disease tuberculosis.