University Hospital Lewisham - History

History

The site of the current hospital was originally a workhouse, following the bequest of a house on Rushey Green to Lewisham Parish for the relief of the poor in 1612. When the Lewisham workhouse became overcrowded, a new workhouse building was erected in 1817. The Lewisham Poor Law Union was formed in 1836, and the workhouse was enlarged. This improvement included the building of cholera wards behind the workhouse building.

A report in The Lancet in 1865 showed that the workhouse was essentially functioning as a hospital at that time: “Sick, infirm, and able-bodied – so called at least, but we saw none in the entire house – were placed in close approximation”. At that time there were seven “sick wards”, with 72 beds, and four “infection wards” with 22 beds.

Land to the north of the workhouse was used to construct a separate infirmary from 1892, and this was formally opened in 1894. This building now houses the hospital pathology department.

During the First World War the infirmary became the Lewisham Military Hospital. Most workhouse inmates were relocated, but parts of the workhouse still functioned until 1929.

During the Second World War the hospital was hit by a V-1 flying bomb, which destroyed two wards, injured 70 people and killed one nurse.

Following the formation of the National Health Service in 1948, the hospital continued to expand with new buildings opened in the 1950s and 1960s. These included the Outpatients Department in 1958, and an extension to the Accident Department in 1964.

In 1954 a premature baby unit was opened, and in 1968 this was replaced by a Special Care Baby Unit. In 1968 the Intensive Therapy Unit was also opened – this was the first such unit in a district general hospital in England.

In 1991 the Sydenham Children’s Hospital closed and moved to Lewisham Hospital. In 1996 the Women’s and Children’s Wing was opened by Princess Alexandra.

In 1997 Hither Green Hospital closed, and the Elderly Care service was transferred to Lewisham Hospital.

In 2002 the phase 3 building scheme started, culminating in the opening of the Riverside Building in 2007.