Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The earlier records in this list relate to the Woolwich Union Infirmary, this was the infirmary for the Woolwich Union workhouse. On 2nd April 1870, the foundation stone for the new Woolwich Union workhouse was laid by the Revd Francis Cameron. It bore the inscription "The poor ye have always with you". The workhouse was situated at Tewson Road, between Skittles Alley (now Riverdale road) and Cage Lane (now Lakedale Road) at the south side of Plumstead High Street, and was designed by the firm of Church and Rickwood. In 1872, a separate infirmary was erected to the south of the workhouse. The new buildings consisted of three ward blocks with central staff quarters, kitchens, stores, offices and committee rooms. The wards included accommodation for children and maternity patients, and a special sick bay for vagrants from the casual ward at Hull Place at the north of the workhouse.
In the 1920s, the workhouse became known as the Woolwich Institution, and the infirmary as the Plumstead and District Hospital. In 1930, following the formal end of the workhouse system, control of the site passed to the London County Council. It was then renamed Saint Nicholas' Hospital and, at that time, had 320 beds. In World War Two, the whole of the northern block was destroyed by in a single bomb attack. In 1945, the hospital suffered further damage from a flying bomb.
After the creation of the National Health Service in 1948, the Hospital was administered by the Woolwich Group Hospital Management Committee. There were 350 beds including 23 beds for maternity cases from the British Hospital for Mothers and Babies. A new Casualty Department was opened in 1965.
In 1974 the Health Service was reorganised and the Hospital came under the control of the Greenwich and Bexley Area Health Authority (later Greenwich Health Authority). In 1986 the Hospital was closed as part of a NHS rationalisation scheme, and the site has been completely redeveloped.