Charing Cross Hospital

Introduction

Charing Cross Hospital is a general, acute hospital in London, England. It was established in 1823. It is located several miles to the west of the city centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and is one of the Imperial College School of Medicine's teaching hospitals. It is a tertiary referral centre for neurosurgery, and is a national centre of excellence for gestational trophoblastic disease. It currently houses the serious injuries centre for West London.^[1]. Asthma was extensively described by Dr. Henry Hyde Salter, a physician at this hospital. ^[2] It has, in recent times, pioneered the clinical use of CT scanning.

The hospital is host to the world-famous Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and the West London Neuroscience centre. Additionally, there is a new day surgery unit that has been recently added, known as the Riverside Wing. The West London Mental Health NHS Trust also has buildings on site.^[3] The hospital hosts the largest and oldest gender identity clinic in the world with numerous operations occuring annually. ^[4]

History

Founded in 1823 as the West London Infirmary, and was originally located in Villiers Street, near Charing Cross in the heart of the metropolis. The institution had its origins in a meeting initiated by Dr Benjamin Golding in 1818. The infirmary provided accommodation for twelve beds, and became known as Charing Cross Hospital in 1827. A new building was opened in Agar Street in 1834 with accommodation for twenty-two medical students, and was extended several times. After the second World War it was decided that the hospital should move out of central London, and in 1957 a link was proposed with Fulham and West London Hospitals. The new Charing Cross Hospital was opened in 1973 on Fulham Palace Road, on the site of the old Fulham Hospital. Despite the move, it has retained the Charing Cross name.

Originally supporting Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School was formed in 1984 by the merger with Westminster Hospital Medical School. In 1997, CXWMS merged with Imperial College London (whose medical department was at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in Paddington), The National Heart & Lung Institute and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (at Hammersmith Hospital) to create a large new institution, Imperial College School of Medicine.

By founding date, it is the oldest component of the Imperial College School of Medicine.

Imperial College

The Reynolds Building (originally built for Charing Cross Hospital Medical School), lies adjacent to the hospital within the campus, is used extensively by Imperial College School of Medicine. It consists of a lecture theatre (Brian Drewe Lecture Theatre), the Campbell-Adamson library for use by both students and NHS staff alike and various seminar and teaching rooms. In addition to this, it houses the Reynolds Bar, a centre for the various functions that the medical school holds. It is also home to a music room, gym and small student union shop.

The Glenister building is also located on this campus. It provides additional teaching space for Imperial College London.

On site, there is a sports centre and sports hall as well as accommodation for staff and some medical students.

Maggie's Centre

On 29 April 2008, A Maggie's Centre was opened by Nigella Lawson and Sarah Brown. This support centre is available for anyone who is affected by cancer in London.^[5] In 2009, the centre was visited by Michelle Obama^[6] and in October was given the 2009 Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects.^[7]

References

1. ^ http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/Hospital.aspx?id=RYJ02
2. ^ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC460219/?page=1
3. ^ http://www.imperial.nhs.uk/charingcross/index.htm
4. ^ http://www.imperial.nhs.uk/charingcross/OurServices/gendersurgery/index.htm
5. ^ http://www.maggiescentres.org/maggies/maggiescentres/home/centres/london/introduction.html
6. ^ http://www.maggiescentres.org/maggies/maggiescentres/home/newspublications/news/michelle-obama-visits-maggies-london.html
7. ^ http://londonist.com/2009/10/maggies_centre_wins_stirling_prize.php

External links

• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust's official site
• A page about the hospital archives which contains some historical information about the hospital

Coordinates: 51°29′14″N 0°13′10″W / 51.4871°N 0.2195°W / 51.4871; -0.2195

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