Subfonds H15/RE - ROYAL EYE HOSPITAL

Identity area

Reference code

H15/RE

Title

ROYAL EYE HOSPITAL

Date(s)

  • 1857-1980 (Creation)

Level of description

Subfonds

Extent and medium

9.58 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Royal Eye Hospital was founded in 1857 by John Zachariah Laurence with the assistance of Carsten Holthouse. It opened with two beds in a house in St George's Circus, Southwark, under the name of the South London Ophthalmic Hospital. It was enlarged in 1860 by the addition of an adjoining house and changed its name to the Surrey Ophthalmic Hospital, the first in a series of name changes. In 1863 it became the Ophthalmic Hospital, in 1869 the Royal South London Ophthalmic Hospital, and in 1892, on the opening of a new enlarged hospital building still in St George's Circus, the Royal Eye Hospital. In 1906 the first organised teaching course in connection with the hospital was started, The first full time Chair in Ophthalmology was established at the hospital in conjunction with the Royal College of Surgeons in 1943. Arnold Sorsby was the first professor.

The hospital was badly damaged by bombing in May 1941 forcing the closure of the In-Patient Department. This re-opened in March 1942 in a house acquired by the hospital in Upper Brighton Road, Surbiton. Outpatients continued to be treated in Southwark. The Surbiton hospital started its own small outpatient department in 1943. The Southwark hospital was able to re-open twenty-eight beds for in-patients in December 1944. These were supplemented by beds at Lambeth Hospital, which were made available by the London County Council for the use of Royal Eye Hospital patients.

The hospital was transferred to the National Health Service in 1948 and became part of King's College Hospital Group. This association was terminated in October 1956 at the request of the Royal Eye Hospital which then became part of the Lambeth Group of hospitals within the South West Metropolitan Region. The Lambeth Group amalgamated with the Wandsworth Group in 1964 to form the South West London Group. In about 1973 the Royal Eye Hospital, Southwark, was transferred to St Thomas' Hospital Group, which in 1974 became St Thomas' Health District (Teaching). The Royal Eye Hospital, Surbiton, passed to Kingston and Richmond Area Health Authority.

The Southwark hospital ceased to admit in-patients in 1976 when the Royal Eye Hospital ward opened in the new St Thomas' Hospital ward block. The outpatient department closed in 1980. The hospital buildings were taken over for administrative use first by Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Area Health Authority and then by Lewisham and North Southwark Health Authority.

Archival history

H15/RE 1857-1980 subfonds 9.58 linear metres Royal Eye Hospital

The Royal Eye Hospital was founded in 1857 by John Zachariah Laurence with the assistance of Carsten Holthouse. It opened with two beds in a house in St George's Circus, Southwark, under the name of the South London Ophthalmic Hospital. It was enlarged in 1860 by the addition of an adjoining house and changed its name to the Surrey Ophthalmic Hospital, the first in a series of name changes. In 1863 it became the Ophthalmic Hospital, in 1869 the Royal South London Ophthalmic Hospital, and in 1892, on the opening of a new enlarged hospital building still in St George's Circus, the Royal Eye Hospital. In 1906 the first organised teaching course in connection with the hospital was started, The first full time Chair in Ophthalmology was established at the hospital in conjunction with the Royal College of Surgeons in 1943. Arnold Sorsby was the first professor.

The hospital was badly damaged by bombing in May 1941 forcing the closure of the In-Patient Department. This re-opened in March 1942 in a house acquired by the hospital in Upper Brighton Road, Surbiton. Outpatients continued to be treated in Southwark. The Surbiton hospital started its own small outpatient department in 1943. The Southwark hospital was able to re-open twenty-eight beds for in-patients in December 1944. These were supplemented by beds at Lambeth Hospital, which were made available by the London County Council for the use of Royal Eye Hospital patients.

The hospital was transferred to the National Health Service in 1948 and became part of King's College Hospital Group. This association was terminated in October 1956 at the request of the Royal Eye Hospital which then became part of the Lambeth Group of hospitals within the South West Metropolitan Region. The Lambeth Group amalgamated with the Wandsworth Group in 1964 to form the South West London Group. In about 1973 the Royal Eye Hospital, Southwark, was transferred to St Thomas' Hospital Group, which in 1974 became St Thomas' Health District (Teaching). The Royal Eye Hospital, Surbiton, passed to Kingston and Richmond Area Health Authority.

The Southwark hospital ceased to admit in-patients in 1976 when the Royal Eye Hospital ward opened in the new St Thomas' Hospital ward block. The outpatient department closed in 1980. The hospital buildings were taken over for administrative use first by Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Area Health Authority and then by Lewisham and North Southwark Health Authority.

Acc/1958, Acc/2001, Acc/2724, Acc/2931

Records of the Royal Eye Hospital, including Committee of Management minutes, 1879-1890; Medical Committee minutes, 1893-1960; School Sub-Committee minutes, 1906-1912; Social Committee minutes, 1936-1956; annual reports, 1858-1948; Articles of Association, 1930-1931; rules and bye-laws, 1930-1937; papers relating to the Richard Minter Mount legacy, 1875-1902; papers relating to the Royal patronage of the Hospital, 1901-1910; papers, reports and correspondence relating to proposed amalgamation with King's College Hospital, 1946-1948; legal papers including agreements and covenants, 1875-1947. Patient records including admission and discharge registers, 1861-1972; in-patients case books, 1893-1958; diagnostic index, 1936-1949; illustrated brochure for nurses wishing to train for the Diploma of the Ophthalmic Nursing Board at the Royal Eye Hospital, [1957]; registers of nursing staff, 1956-1963; research fund petty cash book, 1944-1949; copies of The Royal Eye Hospital 1857-1957 by Arnold Sorsby; papers relating to special events, 1906-1957; papers collected by Arnold Sorsby relating to the life of John Zachariah Laurence, founder of the South London Ophthalmic Hospital; and photographs and prints of the Hospital buildings, staff, patients and special events, 1912 - 1980, including surgeons Carsten Holthouse, Malcolm MacDonald McHardy and Thomas Wilfred Letchworth, and Professor Arnold Sorsby.

The records are arranged as follows: A = Administration, B = Patient Records, C = Staff Records, D = Financial Records, Y = Related Documentation, Z = Photographs and Prints.

These records are open to public inspection, although under section 5(4) of the 1958 Public Records Act administrative records are closed for 30 years and patient records for 100 years.

Copyright Depositor
English

Fit

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

The records of King Edward's Hospital Fund for London which have been deposited here include reports and files of the Royal Eye Hospital (re. A/KE/255/, A/KE/528/4, A/KE/542/11, A/KE/556).

For further information see The Royal Eye Hospital 1857 - 1957 by Arnold Sorsby and Leonora Maclean and The Royal Eye Hospital by Patricia Mowbray.

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. February 2009 The Royal Eye Hospital , 1892-1980 x South London Ophthalmic Hospital , 1857-1860 x Surrey Ophthalmic Hospital , 1860-1863 x The Ophthalmic Hospital , 1863-1869 x The Royal South London Ophthalmic Hospital , 1869-1892 Laurence , John Zachariah , 1828-1870 , ophthalmic surgeon and founder of the South London Ophthalmic Hospital McHardy , Malcolm MacDonald , 1852-1913 , ophthalmic surgeon Letchworth , Thomas Wilfred , 1874-1954 , ophthalmic surgeon Holthouse , Carsten , 1810-1901 , ophthalmic surgeon Sorsby , Arnold , 1900-1980 , Research Professor in Ophthalmology Eye surgery Surgery Medical sciences Diseases Pathology Ophthalmology Eye diseases Higher science education Medical education Nursing education Medical institutions History Personal history Medical history Health services Hospitals Hospital administration People People by roles Hospital patients

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Acc/1958, Acc/2001, Acc/2724, Acc/2931

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Royal Eye Hospital, including Committee of Management minutes, 1879-1890; Medical Committee minutes, 1893-1960; School Sub-Committee minutes, 1906-1912; Social Committee minutes, 1936-1956; annual reports, 1858-1948; Articles of Association, 1930-1931; rules and bye-laws, 1930-1937; papers relating to the Richard Minter Mount legacy, 1875-1902; papers relating to the Royal patronage of the Hospital, 1901-1910; papers, reports and correspondence relating to proposed amalgamation with King's College Hospital, 1946-1948; legal papers including agreements and covenants, 1875-1947. Patient records including admission and discharge registers, 1861-1972; in-patients case books, 1893-1958; diagnostic index, 1936-1949; illustrated brochure for nurses wishing to train for the Diploma of the Ophthalmic Nursing Board at the Royal Eye Hospital, [1957]; registers of nursing staff, 1956-1963; research fund petty cash book, 1944-1949; copies of The Royal Eye Hospital 1857-1957 by Arnold Sorsby; papers relating to special events, 1906-1957; papers collected by Arnold Sorsby relating to the life of John Zachariah Laurence, founder of the South London Ophthalmic Hospital; and photographs and prints of the Hospital buildings, staff, patients and special events, 1912 - 1980, including surgeons Carsten Holthouse, Malcolm MacDonald McHardy and Thomas Wilfred Letchworth, and Professor Arnold Sorsby.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The records are arranged as follows: A = Administration, B = Patient Records, C = Staff Records, D = Financial Records, Y = Related Documentation, Z = Photographs and Prints.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are open to public inspection, although under section 5(4) of the 1958 Public Records Act administrative records are closed for 30 years and patient records for 100 years.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright Depositor

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The records of King Edward's Hospital Fund for London which have been deposited here include reports and files of the Royal Eye Hospital (re. A/KE/255/, A/KE/528/4, A/KE/542/11, A/KE/556).

Finding aids

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

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

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.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area