Saint Pancras Hospital

Saint Pancras' Hospital originated in Saint Pancras' Workhouse, which was situated at no. 4 Kings Road, immediately to the north of Saint Pancras Old Church and Saint Pancras Churchyard (Kings Road was renamed Saint Pancras Way in 1937). In c 1884-1886 a separate infirmary block was built on a site adjoining the workhouse to the south-west, fronting on Cooks Terrace (renamed Pancras Road in 1872). This was known as Saint Pancras South Infirmary to distinguish it from Saint Pancras North Infirmary, built in the late 1860's, and situated on Highgate Hill. The North Infirmary was also known as Highgate Infirmary, later Highgate Hospital, and is now the Highgate Wing of the Whittington Hospital. The South Infirmary became Saint Pancras Hospital.

Saint Pancras' Hospital depended on the workhouse for the provision of certain essential services such as heating, hot water, laundry, and the use of the mortuary. The two institutions shared a common entrance on Kings Road and used the same receiving wards. By the 1920's the master of the workhouse or institution was also steward of the hospital. By 1936 the medical officer of the institution was also medical superintendent of the hospital. The institution could accommodate 1,344 while the hospital had beds for 378. The mental wards and, until 1929, the maternity wards and nursery were part of the institution. In 1929 the LCC Architect reported that the inmates of the institution were mostly of the 'infirm or partially able-bodied class' (see LCC/AR/CB/3/1).

When the London County Council took over responsibility for Saint Pancras' Institution and Hospital in 1930, they decided to adapt and partly rebuild Saint Pancras' Institution for use as a general hospital. By 1938, Saint Pancras' Institution had been renamed Saint Pancras' Hospital (II) while Saint Pancras' Hospital had become Saint Pancras' Hospital (I). By the outbreak of war, the LCC had completed a new mental observation unit and a new maternity block (never used for its intended purpose). On the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948, Saint Pancras Hospital (now run as one unit) was handed over to University College Hospital except for the new maternity block that housed the Hospital for Tropical Diseases. In 1990 Saint Pancras' Hospital was part of Bloomsbury Health Authority. Saint Pancras Hospital became the headquarters for the Camden and Islington Community Health Services NHS Trust in 2001 and specialises in care for the elderly and psychiatry.