IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): H49
Held at: London Metropolitan Archives
Title: SHENLEY HOSPITAL
Date(s): 1931-1974
Level of description: Collection
Extent: 5.78 linear metres
Name of creator(s): Shenley Hospital
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Shenley Hospital, Radlett, Hertfordshire was opened on 31st May 1934 as part of the Middlesex Colony. Along with Napsbury Hospital it was established for the care of the mentally ill.
The hospital was built on the site of Porters Park and provided accommodation initially for 1047 and the full development of 2000 beds with 500 staff. It was planned on the villa system comprising of small nursing units ranging from 20-45 patients and had its own water supply treatment, sewage works and farm.
Shenley Hospital originally came under the aegis of Middlesex County Council. In 1948 it became part of the North Western Metropolitan Hospital Board until 1974 and the first major re-organisation of the NHS when the new health authorities were set up. Shenley came under the North West Thames Regional Health Authority and the Brent and Harrow Area Health Authority until 1982 when the Area Health Authorities were abolished and replaced with new districts in this case Brent District Health Authority. Finally in 1992 the hospital came under the responsibility of the North West London Mental Health NHS Trust until its closure in 1997.
Shenley Hospital closed in 1997 and the only remaining part is the Tower, the land has been redeveloped as a housing estate.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Records of Shenley Hospital, 1931-1974, including minutes from various committees including the Middlesex Colony sub-committee, Standing sub-committee, Middlesex Colony Staff sub-committee, Management sub-committee and Mental Hospitals committee; administrative files including resolutions, annual reports, commissioners reports, Board of Control statistics, hospital services statistics, and contract specifications and estimates. Patient records include medical registers, admission and discharge registers, death registers, civil registers of voluntary and certified patients, and matron's reports. There are also records relating to staff and finance, and a large series of hospital plans dating from the 1930's when the hospital was opened. Most are architectural plans of the villas and other buildings which made up the Shenley Complex. There is also a series of plans which covers the whole site showing layouts of the villas and includes an overall key to the coding of the hospital buildings.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
These records are arranged according to a classification scheme for hospital records: General Hospital Administration (A), Patients' Administration (B), Finance Office (D), Endowments (E), Related Documentation (Y) and Prints and Photographs (PH).
Conditions governing access:
These records are open to public inspection, although under section 5(4) of the 1958 Public Records Act administrative records are closed for 30 years and patient records for 100 years.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright: Depositor
Physical characteristics:
Fit
Finding aids:
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
B98/072, B98/103, B07/074
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Date(s) of descriptions: February 2009