SAINT GEORGE'S HOSPITAL

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: H68/SG
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: SAINT GEORGE'S HOSPITAL
Date(s)	: 1827-1998
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 8.28 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: St George's Hospital | London

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Saint George's Hospital opened in 1733 at Lanesborough House, Hyde Park Corner. It owes its existence to four men, Henry Hoare, William Wogan, Robert Witham and the Reverend Patrick Cockburn, who collectively founded the Westminster Public Infirmary in Petty France in 1720. The ever increasing needs of the sick forced the Westminster Public Infirmary to seek improved and enlarged premises. A disagreement between members of both the Governors and medical staff on the choice of building led to the founding of both Westminster Hospital in Castle Lane and Saint George's Hospital on Hyde Park Corner.

In 1735, Saint George's Hospital purchased the freehold of Lanesborough House, two adjoining houses and two acres of land. Under the direction of Isaac Ware of the Board of Works, the hospital was enlarged to accommodate 200 patients. By 1825 the hospital was falling into disrepair. A competition was held for the design of a new hospital. It was won by William Wilkins, and the new building was opened at Hyde Park Corner in 1829.

Since its foundation, Saint George's Hospital has been training medical students. In 1834, a medical school was established in Kinnerton Street and it was incorpotated into the hospital in 1868.

Just before the beginning of the Second World War, it was decided that Saint George's needed to be rebuilt on its Hyde Park Corner site. The plan was however abandoned by the commencement of hostilities. During the War, against a background of the population shift from central London, discussions took place which paved the way for Saint George's to be rebuilt and transferred out of the city centre.

With the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948, the hospital became part of the Saint George's Hospital Teaching Group of the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. Soon after, the Board of Governors persuaded Aneurin Bevan, the Minister of Health, that the new hospital should be built on the Grove Fever Hospital and Fountain Hospital sites in Tooting. Patients began to be admitted into the Grove Hospital in 1951 and, by 1953, the Grove Hospital was designated to Saint George's and responsibility for it was transferred from the Wandsworth Hospital Group to the Board of Governors of Saint George's. The Fountain Children's Hospital site adjacent to the Grove Hospital was added to the land available for the Saint George's Hospital redevelopment when the Fountain transferred to Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton. The building of the new Saint George's at Tooting began in 1973.

Following the reorganisation of the National Health Service in 1974, the Board of Governors was disbanded, and the responsibility for Saint George's Hospital was passed to the Wandsworth and Merton District of the Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth Area Health Authority. South West Thames Regional Health Authority assumed responsibility for the rebuilding of the new Saint George's. The first phase of the new Saint George's Hospital Medical School opened in 1976. Lanesborough Wing, the first of the ward blocks opened in 1980. The same year marked the closure of Saint George's Hospital at Hyde Park Corner.

In 1993, Saint George's Hospital came under the control of Saint George's Healthcare NHS Trust.

The hospital has been administered by the following:
1733-1948: Saint George's Hospital
1948-1974: Saint George's Hospital Teaching Group of South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board
1974-1982: Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth Area Health Authority of South West Thames Regional Hospital Board
1982-1993: Wandsworth District Health Authority of South West Thames Regional Hospital Board
1993- : Saint George's Healthcare NHS Trust.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of Saint George's Hospital including admission and discharge registers, fever ward admission books, high dependency unit admission books, registers of maternity patients, death registers, deaths under anaesthetic registers, post mortem and case books, post mortem examination books, case books, registers of anaesthetics and operations, operating theatre lists, porters accident books, casualty registers, registers of transfers from casualty, brandy book, book of patient sayings, registers of officers and servants, registers of nurses, registers of probationary nurses, registers of candidates for nursing posts, registers of nurses leaving the hospital, registers of sick leave and special leave, officers' signature books, lists of the number of operations carried out by surgeons, papers and correspondence relating to staff matters, staff certificates, staff reminiscences, staff handbooks and rules, baptism registers.

Administrative, financial and other records are uncatalogued as of February 2012, please see staff for further details.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English.

System of arrangement:

These records are arranged as follows:
H68/SG/B/01 Patients' records: admission and discharge registers;
H68/SG/B/02 Patients' records: fever ward admission books;
H68/SG/B/03 Patients' records: high dependency unit admission books;
H68/SG/B/04 Patients' records: registers of maternity patients;
H68/SG/B/05 Patients' records: death registers;
H68/SG/B/06 Patients' records: deaths under anaesthetic registers;
H68/SG/B/07 Patients' records: post mortem and case books;
H68/SG/B/08 Patients' records: post mortem examinations;
H68/SG/B/09 Patients' records: case books;
H68/SG/B/10 Patients' records: registers of anaesthetics and operations;
H68/SG/B/11 Patients' records: operating theatre lists;
H68/SG/B/12 Patients' records: porters accident books;
H68/SG/B/13 Patients' records: casualty registers;
H68/SG/B/14 Patients' records: registers of transfers from casualty;
H68/SG/B/15 Patients' records: brandy books;
H68/SG/B/16 Patients' records: books of patient sayings;
H68/SG/C/01 Staff records: registers of officers and servants;
H68/SG/C/02 Staff records: registers of nurses;
H68/SG/C/03 Staff records: registers of probationary nurses;
H68/SG/C/04 Staff records: registers of candidates for nursing posts;
H68/SG/C/05 Staff records: registers of nurses leaving the hospital;
H68/SG/C/06 Staff records: registers of sick leave and special leave;
H68/SG/C/07 Staff records: officers' signature books;
H68/SG/C/08 Staff records: lists of the number of operations carried out by surgeons;
H68/SG/C/09 Staff records: papers and correspondence;
H68/SG/C/10 Staff records: certificates;
H68/SG/C/11 Staff records: reminiscences;
H68/SG/C/12 Staff records: handbooks and rules;
H68/SG/G/01 Chaplain: registers of baptisms.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Records deposited in 1996, 2005 and 2007.

Allied Materials

Related material:

See also South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board (LMA/4431/A), South West Thames Regional Health Authority (LMA/4431/B), South Thames Regional Health Authority (HA/ST).

Further records of the hospital are held at the Wellcome Library and Royal College of Surgeons. Post mortem reports, and papers relating to Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, Surgeon; John Hunter, anatomist and surgeon; Saint George's Hospital Whist Club; Saint George's Hospital Hunterian Society (formerly Medical and Surgical Society) and Saint George's Hospital Medical School Library are held at Saint George's, University of London.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
February 2012.