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West Ham Infirmary, built in 1903, which subsequently became Whipps Cross Hospital - now the main 800 bed district general hospital.
© Medical Education Centre at Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust
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Your Story: The Forest Group of Hospitals |
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In the 19th century, although workhouses had infirmary wards, they were not really prepared to deal with those paupers who were admitted because they were ill. The preamble to the 1867 Metropolitan Poor Act stated: 'The evils complained of have mainly arisen from the workhouse management, which must to a great extent be of a deterrent character, having been applied to the sick, who are not proper objects for such a system'.
It was proposed that there be infirmaries, physically separate from workhouses and with the control of patients by doctors and nurses rather than managers, then in the form of the workhouse master.
The West Ham Poor Law Infirmary opened in 1903 with 672 beds. The admission of paupers could not be denied leading to overcrowding and beds exceeding 1000. An operating theatre attracted adverse comment from the Department of Health who suggested it should be called an operating room, 'the term theatre too terrifying and lurid for an infirmary'. A medical superintendent was in direct charge of patients, the post continuing until the fourth retired in 1953. One of his duties was to sit in front with the driver at a pauper's funeral in the role of 'the public mourner'.
The Guardians of the Poor were in charge of the Infirmary but were dismissed in 1926 by the Minister of Health, Neville Chamberlain, having run up a debt of ½ million pounds.
Part of the Infirmary formed the Whipps Cross War Hospital from 1917. In the next year the Infirmary was renamed Whipps Cross Hospital, it being noted that 'the public are coming to regard this more as a general hospital', but adding 'you cannot get over the inbred hatred of a poor law infirmary'.
Extra wards were built, and with the addition of a midwifery unit in 1973, the official bed numbers exceeded 1,000. One physician commented that if he failed to attend a committee meeting at Bart's he lost his only bed; failure to attend at Whipps Cross meant he had another ward to look after.
Whipps Cross established Intensive Care and hyperbaric units in 1968, being early in these fields.
In 1965 a medical education centre was opened, one of the first in the country. The money for an extension in 1974 was largely subscribed by doctors and dentists. Post-graduate courses for higher medical examinations were started and acquired national fame.
In the 19th century the voluntary hospitals expressed concern that new large infirmaries would in due course take their patients and hence their finances. In the 20th century the smaller hospitals of The Forest Group feared that they would be swallowed by the big Whipps Cross Hospital. This has happened. Whipps Cross is the only district general hospital in the Forest area, the smaller hospitals closing in the 1970s and 1980s, while in 2002 it became a University Hospital.
As a hospital it is unique in having cattle grids to keep out cattle from Epping Forest which lies directly opposite.
Words: Dr Eric Dormer MD, FRCP
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