Hospital for Diseases of the Throat, Golden Square

The Hospital for Diseases of the Throat in Golden Square was founded in 1862 by Dr Morell Mackenzie, a pioneer of laryngology. It began as a free dispensary, but soon adopted a provident system whereby patients contributed towards the cost of their treatment.

The hospital was sufficiently successful for the Prince of Wales to become Patron in 1872; however, from this point Golden Square suffered a number of setbacks. Between July 1873 and November 1874 the hospital was unsuccessful both in its attempt to gain a royal charter and its application to the Board of Trade for incorporation. Three Trustees were subsequently appointed to manage the affairs of the hospital: Lord Charles Bruce, Colonel Percy Fielding and Dr Morell Mackenzie, but it continued to deteriorate. In 1878 an enquiry into the financial management of the hospital resulted in the withdrawal of Royal Patronage. Members of staff began to desert the hospital in droves; Lennox Browne and Llewellyn Thomas left in 1874 to set up their own establishment, and between 1876 and 1877 seven further members of staff (including the Chairman of the Management Committee, Matron and Secretary) resigned over an incident with a patient.

In 1904, the King's Fund put forward a proposal to merge the five ENT hospitals in London: the Hospital for Diseases of the Throat in Golden Square, the Central London Throat Nose and Ear Hospital in Gray's Inn Road, the Royal Ear Hospital in Huntley Street, the London Throat Hospital in Portland Street, and the Metropolitan Ear Nose and Throat Hospital in Fitzroy Square. The Hospital for Diseases of the Throat in Golden Square eventually decided to merge with the London Throat Hospital in 1918. The Royal Ear Hospital merged with University College Hospital in the following year. In 1939, the decision was taken to amalgamate with the Central London Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, and a joint Committee of Management was formed.

The merger was delayed by the outbreak of war, during which, in 1940, the hospital was slightly damaged by bombing. Golden Square had a number of eminent surgeons on its staff, including Charles Heath (1856-1934) who invented the anti-gas helmet used by British soldiers in World War I, George Cathcart (1861-1951) who financed the first Prom with Henry Wood and Lionel Colledge (1883-1948) who was instrumental in the amalgamation of Golden Square with the Central London, and in whose honour the Royal College of Surgeons awards the annual Lionel Colledge Fellowship.