Spital has since grown and is now part of the larger town of Bebington which borders Birkenhead. After the ending of the workhouse system in 1930, Wirral Workhouse was renamed Clatterbridge (County) General Hospital and under the National Health Service became Clatterbridge Hospital. In 1958, it became a centre specialising in Oncology. The centre was built in to enlarge cancer care services from a cramped site on Myrtle Street in Liverpool - since then the site has been expanded and the hospital has been awarded 3 out of 3 stars in the NHS scoring system. Geography Spital is in the eastern part of the Wirral Peninsula, approximately south-south-east of the Irish Sea at New Brighton, east-north-east of the Dee Estuary at Gayton and about west of the River Mersey at Bromborough. The area is situated at an elevation of around above sea level. Governance Spital is situated within the UK Parliamentary Constituency of Wirral South. Since the 2010 General Election the constituency Member of Parliament is Alison McGovern (Labour). At local government level, Spital and the neighbouring village of Poulton Lancelyn are part of the Clatterbridge Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Demography 1801 - 87 1851 - 294 1901 - 487 1951 - 1,257 2001 - 4,190 The 2001 Census shows the population of Spital to be 4,190. This was composed of 2,010 (47.97%) males and 2,180 (52.03%) females. There were 1,660 households. Transport Road The M53 motorway, A41 road and B5137 road pass through or near the area. Bus Regular bus services, operated on behalf of Merseytravel, leave Spital cross-roads for various destinations around Merseyside. Rail Despite its small size, the area is served by Spital railway station on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network, with frequent services to Liverpool, Chester and Ellesmere Port. The station is staffed from early in the morning through to 10 minutes before the last train at night and there is a free car park with space for over 40 vehicles. Notable people Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson spent his adolescent years living in Spital. Paul Heaton Singer/Songwriter from The Housemartins and The Beautiful South was born in Spital. References External links Towns and villages in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral