St Helier Hospital Explained

St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children
Org/Group:Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
Location:Wrythe Lane, St Helier, Sutton, Carshalton SM5 1AA
Region:London
State:England
Country:UK
Coordinates:51.3803°N -0.1836°W
Healthcare:NHS England
Type:District General Hospital
Speciality:Specialist Renal and Transplant Centre
Emergency:Yes
Affiliation:St George's, University of London
Beds:629
Website:http://www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk
Mapframe:no
Map Type:United Kingdom London Sutton

St Helier Hospital (full title: St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children) in the London Borough of Sutton is run by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust along with Epsom Hospital. It is located next to the large St Helier council estate and close to the major intersection known as Rosehill.

The hospital offers a full range of hospital services including a 24-hour accident and emergency department. The site is also home to the South West Renal and Transplantation Service and the Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, a dedicated children's hospital. St Helier Hospital is a major teaching hospital for St George's, University of London, and is a main teaching site for medical degrees.

History

The hospital was commissioned in 1934 when Surrey County Council acquired a 999-year lease of 10 acres of land on the St Helier council estate which had been named in honour of Mary Jeune, Baroness St Helier, a prominent alderman on the London County Council.[1] Queen Mary laid the foundation stone for the new hospital on 26 March 1938.[1] It was designed by Saxon Snell & Phillips, who were chosen for their experience in hospital design, in the thirties modernist style.[2] It received its first patients in February 1941 during the Second World War.[1]

Less than a month later, the hospital was damaged in a bombing raid by a parachute mine.[1] John Major, the former Prime Minister was born in the hospital in 1943.[3] Further damage was caused in later raids and the hospital was struck by two flying bombs in June 1944.[4] St Helier Hospital remained functional throughout the War and was painted green to make it less visible to German bombers in the latter years of the war.[5] It joined the National Health Service in 1948.[1]

The Queen Mother visited the hospital in 1963, during the hospital's jubilee year and, in 1987, Diana Princess of Wales opened the new maternity unit.[1] Services were transferred from Queen Mary's Hospital for Children in 1993.[6] St Helier Hospital came under the management of the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in 1999.[7]

In November 2013, as part of the Better Services Better Value Review of NHS services in London, the Trust proposed the downgrading of the maternity and Accident and Emergency Departments.[8]

Services

The main building is divided into three blocks: A, B and C. The other buildings are:[9]

Transport links

London Buses routes 151, 157, S1 and S2 stop outside the hospital.[10]

The nearest London Underground station is Morden Underground station, from which there are frequent buses to the hospital via Rose Hill (about 5 minutes walk from the hospital). The nearest National Rail station is St Helier station which is slightly less than one mile from the hospital (about a 15-minute walk), although this is infrequently served (only 1 train every 30 minutes off-peak).[11]

Criticism

The hospital has attracted some criticism because of the deteriorating physical condition of the buildings, some of which date from the 1940s. Writing in The Observer newspaper, the chief medical officer of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust Dr Ruth Charlton described the hospital as "dilapidated and unpleasant", with regular basement flooding and emergency ward closures.[12]

Notable births

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: St Helier Hospital. Lost Hospitals of London. 1 July 2018.
  2. Web site: A Brief History of St. Helier Hospital. Sutton Local Records and Archives, London Borough of Sutton. Hyatt. Christine.
  3. There is a plaque at the main entrance of the hospital stating this.
  4. Web site: History of St.Helier Hospital The first Foundation stone. 7 May 2010. Sutton Local Records and Archives, London Borough of Sutton. Roberts. Zoe.
  5. Web site: Epsom and St Helier NHS trust – Our Story. 11 August 2015. St Helier Hospital. Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals.
  6. Web site: Queen Mary's Hospital. Lost Hospitals of London. 11 April 2019.
  7. Web site: Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust: Financing Application. NHS Trust Development Authority. 11 April 2019.
  8. News: GPs vote against closure of local A&E. 2 December 2013. Pulse. 2 December 2013.
  9. Web site: Site map. Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS TRust. 1 July 2018.
  10. Web site: Buses from St Helier Hospital. Transport for London. 6 March 2024.
  11. Web site: St Helier London Rail Station. Transport for London. 1 July 2018.
  12. Web site: Patient safety at risk in crumbling hospital Boris Johnson promised to replace. 13 May 2023. The Guardian. 13 May 2023. Michael Savage.
  13. Web site: Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. X. 15 March 2024.
  14. Web site: About Elliot Colburn. Elliot Colburn. en. 14 December 2019.
  15. Web site: John Major in bid to save hospital where he was born. 21 April 2007. Your Local Guardian.