General Lying-In Hospital

The General Lying-In Hospital was one of the first general maternity hospitals in Great Britain. It opened in 1767 on Westminster Bridge Road; it became part of St Thomas' Hospital when the NHS was formed in 1946 and closed as a separate facility in 1971. HistoryThe General Lying-In Hospital was opened in April 1767 as the Westminster New Lying-in Hospital, on the north side of Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, then on the outskirts of London. Lying-in is an archaic term for childbirth; the institution was a maternity hospital. Dr. John Leake was its first physician. The hospital admitted single mothers as well as married women. Early in the 1820s the governors decided to move to new premises. They acquired a building lease of a plot of ground with 100-foot frontage at on the east side of York Road, Lambeth. The new building was designed by Henry Harrison and cost about £3, 000. On 22 September 1828, the minutes record that “On Friday Morning a Patient was delivered of a Son in the New Hospital and the Committee met this day in the new Hospital for the first time. ” The name “Westminster” was dropped from the title and the institution was incorporated by royal charter in 1830 as “The General Lying-in Hospital". In 1879 a thorough reconditioning was carried out. A new drainage system was installed, the laundry in the basement was converted into store rooms, and a new ward was added. A training school for midwives and midwifery nurses was established, and in order to accommodate the students a new storey was added to each wing.

The General Lying-In Hospital was one of the first general maternity hospitals in Great Britain. It opened in 1767 on Westminster Bridge Road; it became part of St Thomas' Hospital when the NHS was formed in 1946 and closed as a separate facility in 1971. HistoryThe General Lying-In Hospital was opened in April 1767 as the Westminster New Lying-in Hospital, on the north side of Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, then on the outskirts of London. Lying-in is an archaic term for childbirth; the institution was a maternity hospital. Dr. John Leake was its first physician. The hospital admitted single mothers as well as married women. Early in the 1820s the governors decided to move to new premises. They acquired a building lease of a plot of ground with 100-foot frontage at on the east side of York Road, Lambeth. The new building was designed by Henry Harrison and cost about £3, 000. On 22 September 1828, the minutes record that “On Friday Morning a Patient was delivered of a Son in the New Hospital and the Committee met this day in the new Hospital for the first time. ” The name “Westminster” was dropped from the title and the institution was incorporated by royal charter in 1830 as “The General Lying-in Hospital". In 1879 a thorough reconditioning was carried out. A new drainage system was installed, the laundry in the basement was converted into store rooms, and a new ward was added. A training school for midwives and midwifery nurses was established, and in order to accommodate the students a new storey was added to each wing.