South London Hospital for Women and Children

The South London Hospital for Women was founded in 1912 "to satisfy two needs - a hospital for those female patients who prefer to be treated by a member of their own sex, and the opportunity for women doctors to train and work as hospital specialists". The inspiration for establishing the hospital came from Miss Maud Chadburn, surgeon to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in Euston Road, the only other general hospital in London where women could be treated entirely by women. Two large houses, Holland House and Kingston House, on the south side of Clapham Common, were purchased. A public appeal in 1912 resulted in an anonymous donation of £53,000 for building the hospital and a further £40,000 to endow it.

The out-patient department opened on 3 April 1913 at 88 and 90 Newington Causeway. Meanwhile Holland House was demolished and building work commenced on the in-patient department at Clapham Common. Temporary accommodation for in-patients was available in a nursing home, which had room for 80 beds.

In 1920 Preston House, which adjoined the south side of the hospital, was purchased and equipped to provide 40 additional surgical beds. This was opened in 1924 by the Duchess of York. In 1927 Kingston House to the north of the hospital was demolished. A new North Wing including an out-patient department was built on the site and completed by 1930. It was designed by Sir Edwin Cooper who also redesigned the front of the hospital. Further building work continued throughout the 1930's, but the opening of the new South Wing and Nurses Home had to be postponed due to the outbreak of war in 1939. In that year the name of the hospital was changed to the South London Hospital for Women and Children.

During the war the hospital was used for casualties, a special Act of Parliament enabling it to admit male patients. The hospital escaped serious damage by bombing, though its normal work was severely limited. The loan of a house in Chislehurst provided invaluable 35 beds where patients could receive medical treatment or recover from operations. This was replaced after the war by Woodhurst at Peas Pottage near Crawley, which became the country annexe of the South London Hospital from 1948 until 1970.

A 20 bed maternity unit was due to open at the South London Hospital in 1944, when owing to the danger from flying bombs it was evacuated to Scarborough. The maternity unit finally opened a few months later. A large house in Nightingale Lane was converted into a 30 bed post-maternity home. It was opened by the Queen in May 1948 and named the Queen Elizabeth Maternity Home. The hospital purchased Preston Lodge, which adjoined the hospital gardens, as a home for district midwives.

With the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948, the South London Hospital lost its independence becoming one of the Lambeth Group of Hospitals under the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. In 1964 the Lambeth Group ceased to exist. Control of the South London Hospital passed to the newly formed South West London Group Hospital Management Committee. In 1974 it became part of the Wandsworth and East Merton Health District of the Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth Area Health Authority.

Queen Elizabeth Maternity Home had by 1975 become Queen Elizabeth House, a pre-convalescent home. In 1982 further reorganisation of the NHS transferred responsibility for the South London Hospital to Wandsworth Health Authority. The hospital closed in 1984.