Saint Giles' Hospital , 1927- xx Camberwell Workhouse Infirmary , 1873-1927

Saint Giles' Hospital , 1927- xx Camberwell Workhouse Infirmary , 1873-1927

Saint Giles' Hospital opened in 1873 as Camberwell Workhouse Infirmary on a site adjoining the Havil Street Workhouses. Extensive new hospital buildings were erected between 1899 and 1903 by Camberwell Board of Guardians on part of the site adjoining Brunswick Square (now St Giles' Road) and Brunswick Road. The infirmary was renamed Saint Giles' Hospital in 1927. In 1930 Camberwell Board of Guardians ceased to exist and the hospital was transferred to the London County Council. By 1938 it had 810 beds.

In 1948 Saint Giles' Hospital became part of the National Health Service under the control of the South East Metropolitan Regional Health Board and Camberwell Hospital management Committee. On the reorganisation of the National Health Service in 1974, by now a 283 bed mainly acute hospital, it became the responsibility of King's Health District (Teaching) of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Area Health Authority. In 1982 it came under the control of Camberwell Health Authority based at King's College Hospital. On 1 April 1993 Saint Giles' Hospital became part of Optimum Health Services, an NHS Trust responsible for community health care services in Camberwell. Most of the hospital buildings were no longer required by the health service and many have been demolished. Saint Giles' Tower, a circular ward block opened in 1889, has been converted into flats. The remaining buildings were used for clinics, treatment centres and administration. In April 1999 the community health elements of Optimum Health Services were absorbed by a new trust, Community Health South London NHS Trust.