South London Hospital for Women and Children facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South London Hospital for Women and Children |
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| Wandsworth District Health Authority | |
The 1929 front building as it appeared in 1999
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 Location in London Borough of Lambeth
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| Geography | |
| Location | Clapham Common, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°27′11″N 0°8′49″W / 51.45306°N 0.14694°W |
| History | |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Closed | 1984 |
The South London Hospital for Women and Children was a special hospital in London, UK. It was located on Clapham Common. This hospital treated only women and children. It was also known as the South London Hospital for Women.
Two doctors, Eleanor Davies-Colley and Maud Chadburn, started the hospital in 1912. What made it unique was that all the staff, including doctors and nurses, were women. The hospital closed its doors in 1984.
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Why the Hospital Was Built
Eleanor Davies-Colley and Maud Chadburn were surgeons. They worked at another hospital called the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital. In 1911, they began to raise money. They wanted to open a new hospital in South London. This new hospital would be for women and children. Their main goal was to have only women working there as medical staff.
The hospital where they worked was very busy. Many women who needed help could not get treated. At that time, it was hard for women doctors to find jobs. Many hospitals would not hire them. So, hospitals run by women for women helped both patients and female doctors. These hospitals also gave women more choices for their healthcare.
Getting the Hospital Started
Davies-Colley's cousin, Harriet Shaw Weaver, helped a lot. She was a publisher and a supporter of women's rights. With her help and others, enough money was raised. They opened a small outpatients' department in Newington Causeway in 1912. This is where patients could come for quick visits without staying overnight.
A doctor wrote a letter to a newspaper saying the hospital was not needed. He thought women doctors were forcing their way into medicine. This letter actually helped! A very large donation of £53,000 for building and £40,000 for running costs came in. With this money, things moved quickly.
A new, large hospital was built on Clapham Common. It had eighty beds. Queen Mary officially opened it on July 4, 1916. It was the ninth hospital in Britain to be run only by women. It was also the biggest one, thanks to the large donation. Harriet Weaver became the first Honorary Secretary.
Who the Hospital Helped
The South London Hospital had different types of rooms. Some were charity wards. Here, patients paid only what they could afford. There were also private rooms. Patients paid a set fee for these. This showed that the hospital wanted to help many different kinds of women. This included the growing middle class.
The rules for the hospital were very strict. Only female doctors could work there. Only women could be admitted as patients. The only exception was children under seven years old. One of the first patients was a boy who was almost seven. He had been hurt in an accident.
Through the Years
After the First World War, the hospital grew. New departments were added. These included skin care (dermatology) in 1922 and bladder/kidney care (urology) in 1924.
The hospital buildings became even bigger in 1929. A grand new front building was opened. It was designed by a famous architect, Sir Edwin Cooper. This new part was not fully finished, leaving a gap. More parts were added in the 1950s.
By the 1930s, women doctors had more chances to work in other hospitals. So, the need for women-only hospitals started to decrease. However, the South London Hospital was good at raising money. This allowed it to keep its all-women staff policy. During the Second World War, even male soldiers needed to be treated there. A special law had to be passed for this to happen.
Joining the NHS and Closing Down
In 1948, the National Health Service (NHS) started. This meant hospital care became free for everyone. Also, rules that stopped women from getting certain hospital jobs were removed. These changes greatly affected women-only hospitals.
The South London Hospital became part of the NHS. Many women-only hospitals were closed or joined with other hospitals. Some had to start hiring male staff. But the South London Hospital kept its unique all-women staff for over thirty years. In 1982, many new patients still visited its departments for women's health.
The hospital kept its all-women staff until it closed. Employees said there was a special teamwork there. The all-women wards were also very popular with the public. Many people did not want the hospital to close. A petition against its closure was signed by 60,000 people. Protesters even stayed in the hospital building for nine months.
The South London Hospital closed in 1984. The local health authority said it was too expensive to run. But some employees disagreed. Protesters occupied the building until March 27, 1985.
What Happened Next
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The original hospital building was designed by Sir Edwin Cooper. It was seen as a very important and beautiful building. It was a great example of 1920s architecture.
In 1998, a supermarket company called Tesco wanted to knock down the hospital. They planned to build flats and a new store. But the local council and residents fought against this. They won, and Tesco agreed to keep the front part of the building from 1929.
In 2004, the Cooper building was updated. The part that was never finished was finally completed. This made the building look much better. Sadly, the inside of the hospital was destroyed. This included a wooden staircase and a beautiful waiting hall. The front part of the building became flats above a Tesco supermarket. The back parts of the hospital were knocked down to build new flats and a car park.
