NEWS

The thanksgiving service was held on 23 May 2019, at Westminster Abbey, the original Westminster Hospital was built in 1840 in Broad Sanctuary, just opposite the Abbey.

 

In 1719 the Trustees and Managers of the Charity for Relieving the Sick and Needy, rented a house in Petty France, Pimlico, which became the Society's first infirmary; the first hospital to be formed since the Reformation and the first charitable funded hospital in the world. By 1724, the 18 bedded infirmary had become too small and a larger property was found in Chappell Street, which later became the Broadway.

The hospital relocated to Castle Lane in 1735, creating the Establishment for Incurables. The opening of Westminster Bridge in 1750 saw an increase in injuries resulting from road accidents which led to an early form of Accident and Emergency being created. In 1770 the hospital was renamed Westminster Hospital for Sick and Lame patients, and by 1767 proposals were completed to build a dedicated operating room.

by 1833 the new build Westminster Hospital was complete, described as a dignified building in the centre of Westminster. The hospital admitted more than 1000 inpatients each year and incorporated the Medical School and Operating 'Theatre' where students and visitors could watch operations.

In 1847 the surgeon Hale Thompson , performed the first operation under general anaesthetic.

As the Second World War called upon the services of the hospital 1200 major and minor injuries were treated between September 1940 and May 1941. The hospital was hit by three bombs during the war, but incredibly there were no resulting casualties.

In 1946 the Infants hospital became part of Westminster Hospital and renamed the Westminster Children Hospital - where our hospital school opened 30 years ago. The passing of the National Health Service Act in 1948 made healthcare free at the point of entry from CRADLE to GRAVE led to the creation of the Westminster Group of Hospitals.

Westminster Hospital and the Children's Hospital closed in 1992, and the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital was born, bringing together Westminster Hospital, the Children's Hospital, St. Stephen's Hospital and St. Mary Abbot's Hospitals

Today this hospital employs 6,000 staff caring for one million people and has consistently ranked as the top performing Trust in the UK, throughout 2018.