Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
Homoeopathy was introduced to Britain by Dr Frederick Hervey Quin in the first half of the nineteenth century. Dr Quin had been trained in the homoeopathic system in Germany by Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the 'father of homoeopathy'. Quin developed the first homoeopathic practice in Britain and became extremely successful. His success led him to open a homoeopathic dispensary for the poor, this failed but he turned instead to the idea of a hospital specialising in homoeopathic medicine. He raised sufficient funds, mainly from his aristocratic patients and supporters, to buy a property at 32 Golden Square for his first hospital. The first patients were admitted on 10 April 1850, 156 in-patients and over 1500 outpatients were treated in the first year. This was the London Homoeopathic hospital. The Hospital later moved to a site on the corner of Great Ormond Street and Queen's Square.
In 1948 the London Homoeopathic Hospital became part of the National Health Service, it was also around this time that it gained royal patronage and became the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital. Under the NHS the administration of the hospital was in the hands of the London Homoeopathic Hospital Management Committee under the London (Teaching) Regional Hospital Board. NHS reorganisation in 1974 found the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital part of the North East Thames Regional Health Authority and South Camden (Teaching) District Health Authority. This changed again in 1982 when the hospital came under Bloomsbury District Health Authority.
In 1992 the Homoeopathic Hospital became part of Parkside NHS Trust. On 1st April 2002 the hospital became part of University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH) as part of its Specialist Hospitals Board, enabling closer collaboration between complementary therapies and conventional medicine. From 2002-2005 the RLHH underwent a comprehensive £20million redevelopment transforming it into a state of the art treatment and research facility, while this work was in progress the hospital's clinical services were relocated to Greenwell Street adjacent to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.
The renovation was planned with consultation from patients and clinicians to provide a peaceful healing environment, as well as facilities for group clinics, education and an information centre. The renovated building was re-opened in June 2005.
In 2007 the senior clinician and management staff unanimously decided that it was the right time to rename the hospital to the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine in order to more accurately reflect the nature of its work.