King's College Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King's College Hospital |
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| King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | |
King's College Hospital main entrance in 2015
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| Geography | |
| Location | Denmark Hill, Camberwell, London SE5 9RS, England |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | National Health Service |
| Hospital type | Teaching |
| Affiliated university | King's College London |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes (Major Trauma Centre) |
| Beds | 950 |
| Speciality | Liver Disease, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Dentistry, Trauma (medicine) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1840, current site 1909 |
King's College Hospital is a very important hospital in London, England. People often call it "King's" for short. It's a special kind of hospital called a "teaching hospital," which means it helps train new doctors and nurses. It's also a "major trauma centre," ready to treat people with very serious injuries.
King's College Hospital helps about 700,000 people living in the Lambeth and Southwark areas. It also helps millions of people from all over southern England for certain special medical problems. It works closely with King's College London and other hospitals like Guy's Hospital and St. Thomas' Hospital to improve healthcare and medical research. Did you know that Queen Camilla was born at King's College Hospital in 1947?
Contents
History of King's College Hospital
How it started
King's College Hospital first opened its doors in 1840. It was in an old building that used to be a workhouse, near King's College London. The main idea was to give medical students from King's College a place to learn and practice treating patients. The area around the hospital was very poor and crowded, with many people getting sick.
Soon after opening, the hospital was treating many patients. It had 120 beds, but sometimes two patients had to share a bed because there were so many people who needed help. King's was also one of the first hospitals to start training nurses, beginning in 1856.
A famous surgeon named Joseph Lister worked at King's. In 1877, he performed a major surgery using very strict antiseptic methods. This meant he used special ways to keep germs away during operations, which made surgery much safer. His work helped King's become one of the best surgical hospitals in Europe.
Moving to a new home
In the early 1900s, more people started living further away from central London, in places like Camberwell and Brixton. So, in 1909, King's College Hospital moved to its current location at Denmark Hill, which was closer to where many of its patients lived.
The new hospital building was very modern for its time. It was designed to have good airflow to keep patients healthy. It also had electric clocks and one of the first internal phone systems in the UK! The hospital even made its own electricity using diesel engines.
During the First World War, a big part of the hospital was used to treat soldiers who were injured in battle. Later, in 1923, a dental school was also opened at the hospital. In those days, many patients were still poor and often caught diseases like tuberculosis.
During the Second World War, the hospital helped treat people injured in air raids. Luckily, the hospital itself was never directly hit by bombs. As mentioned earlier, Queen Camilla was born here in 1947.
Recent times
After the National Health Service (NHS) was created in 1948, King's College Hospital was given "Teaching Hospital" status. This meant it continued its important role in training new medical professionals.
Over the years, the hospital's medical school joined up with other medical schools, including those from Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals. Together, they formed a large medical school known as "GKT." In 1997, a special building called the Weston Education Centre was built. It has a medical library and is used for teaching and training events for medical students and doctors.
In 2002, a new part of the hospital called the Golden Jubilee Wing was finished. This wing has many rooms for outpatient appointments and therapy sessions, helping people with things like speech problems or needing help with movement.
What you'll find at King's
The hospital is mainly located on Bessemer Road. While the old Hambleden Wing Entrance is still officially the main one, the Golden Jubilee Wing Entrance is now used more often. This is because it's easy for people arriving by bus or ambulance to get to. There's also a new entrance for the A&E (Accident & Emergency) department.
King's College Hospital was one of the first hospitals to offer free Wi-Fi to everyone. This means patients and visitors can stay connected while they are there. In 2022, a new outpatient unit was built with many consulting rooms and procedure rooms, making it easier for patients to get the care they need.
Where is King's College Hospital?
King's College Hospital is on Denmark Hill. Right across the road is the Maudsley Hospital, which is a hospital for mental health. Doctors at King's often work with experts from the nearby Institute of Psychiatry to do research on brain conditions like Parkinson's disease. The Denmark Hill Campus of King's College London is also very close by. The nearest train station is Denmark Hill railway station.
Famous people who studied or worked here
Many talented people have studied or worked at King's College Hospital. Here are a few:
- James W. Black – He won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for his important discoveries about how medicines work.
- Joseph Lister – A pioneer in antiseptic surgery, meaning he found ways to prevent infections during operations.
- Reita Faria – An Indian model who became Miss World 1966.
- Kate Evelyn Luard – A British nurse and author who trained at King's.
- Robert Daniel Lawrence – He helped start Diabetes UK, an important charity for people with diabetes.
- Andy Williams – A well-known surgeon who specializes in knee and sports injuries, often treating famous footballers.
See also
- Healthcare in London
- List of hospitals in England
- King's Health Partners
- List of NHS trusts
- John Cutting (psychiatrist)
- Guy's Hospital
- Maudsley Hospital
- St Thomas' Hospital
- King's College London GKT School of Medical Education
- Francis Crick Institute
