St Mary's Hospital, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Hospital |
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| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | |
The Clarence Memorial Wing at St Mary's Hospital
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 Location in City of Westminster
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| Geography | |
| Location | Paddington, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°31′2″N 0°10′23″W / 51.51722°N 0.17306°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | National Health Service |
| Hospital type | Teaching |
| Affiliated university | Imperial College London |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes – Major Trauma Centre |
| History | |
| Founded | 1845 |
St Mary's Hospital is a well-known hospital in Paddington, London. It was started in 1845. Today, it is run by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. This trust also manages other important hospitals like Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital.
St Mary's Hospital is also a teaching hospital. This means it helps train new doctors and nurses. It used to have its own medical school. In 1988, this school joined with Imperial College London. This made a bigger, stronger medical school.
Contents
History of St Mary's Hospital
How the Hospital Grew Over Time
The first building of St Mary's Hospital was designed by Thomas Hopper. It opened its doors in 1851. It was one of the last big hospitals of its kind to be built.
A new part, called the Clarence Memorial Wing, opened in 1904. It was designed by William Emerson. This hospital became very famous for an amazing discovery. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin here. Penicillin is a medicine that helps fight serious infections. You can visit Fleming's old laboratory at the hospital. It is now a museum about his life and discovery.
The Lindo Wing is a special private part of the hospital. It opened in 1937. Many famous people and even members of the royal family have had their babies there. A businessman named Frank Charles Lindo helped pay for it.
After 1948, when the National Health Service (NHS) started, St Mary's Hospital joined with other local hospitals. These included Paddington General Hospital and the Western Eye Hospital. This helped more people get medical care.
In the 1950s, a surgeon named Felix Eastcott did important work here. He helped develop a surgery to reduce the risk of stroke. In 1987, the Paddington Green Children's Hospital also joined St Mary's. This brought more services for children to the hospital.
Royal Babies Born at St Mary's
The Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital is well-known for royal births. Many members of the British Royal Family have been born there. Here are some of them:
- William, Prince of Wales (born 1982) – first son of Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales
- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (born 1984) – second son of Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales
- Prince George of Wales (born 2013) – first son of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales
- Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015) – daughter of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales
- Prince Louis of Wales (born 2018) – second son of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales
Other royal family members born here include:
- Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (born 1974)
- Lady Davina Windsor (born 1977)
- Peter Phillips (born 1977)
- Lord Frederick Windsor (born 1979)
- Lady Rose Gilman (born 1980)
- Zara Tindall (born 1981)
- Lady Gabriella Kingston (born 1981)
- Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (born 1983)
- Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark (born 1986)
- Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (born 1988)
Famous People Born at St Mary's
Besides the royal family, many other notable people were born at St Mary's Hospital.
- Seal (born 1963) – a British musician
- Elvis Costello (born 1954) – another British musician
- Kiefer Sutherland (born 1966) – a Canadian actor
- Michael Page (born 1987) – a British professional fighter
- Alexander and Ella Clooney (born 2017) – children of actor George Clooney and lawyer Amal Clooney
Important Staff and Alumni
Many talented people have worked or studied at St Mary's Hospital. They have made big contributions to medicine and other fields.
- Arthur Cecil Alport – a doctor who identified a kidney disease called Alport syndrome.
- Roger Bannister – the first person to run a four-minute mile. He was also a professor of neurology.
- Alexander Fleming – won the Nobel Prize for discovering penicillin.
- Rodney Robert Porter – won the Nobel Prize for his work on antibodies, which are part of our immune system.
- Bernard Spilsbury – a pathologist who helped create modern forensic medicine. This is using science to solve crimes.
- Augustus Waller – his research led to the invention of the electrocardiogram (ECG). This machine checks heart activity.
- J. P. R. Williams – a famous international rugby player.
Connections with the Railway
St Mary's Hospital is very close to London Paddington railway station. This station is a major hub for trains. To celebrate this connection, a special train engine was named St Mary's Hospital, Paddington in 1986. The name has since been removed from the train. However, one of the large metal nameplates is now on display inside the hospital. You can see it in the Cambridge Wing foyer.
A Major Trauma Centre
St Mary's Hospital is one of four major trauma centres in London. These centres are specially equipped to treat people with very serious injuries. They provide emergency care for accidents and other life-threatening situations. The other major trauma centres in London are King's College Hospital, The Royal London Hospital, and St George's Hospital.
COSMIC Charity
COSMIC is a charity that helps St Mary's Hospital. It supports the hospital's special care units for babies and children. These are called neonatal and paediatric intensive care services. The charity raises money for important medical equipment. This includes machines like ventilators and patient monitors. COSMIC also gives support to families when their children are being treated.
See also
- List of hospitals in England
