Springfield University Hospital

Springfield University Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Tooting, South London and also the headquarters of the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.[1]

Springfield University Hospital
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
Springfield Hospital main building
Shown in Wandsworth
Geography
LocationTooting, London, England, United Kingdom
Organisation
Care systemNHS England
TypePsychiatric
Affiliated universitySt George's, University of London
Services
History
Opened1840
Links
Websitehttp://www.swlstg-tr.nhs.uk
ListsHospitals in England

History
Information card for ceremony to celebrate the opening of the New Infirmary block on 7 July 1932.

The hospital opened as the Surrey County Pauper Lunatic Asylum in 1840.[2] The original building was a grand symmetrical red brick Tudor-style composition enclosing a large courtyard, built to the designs of Edward Lapidge, the county surveyor.[3] A purpose-built chapel was added in 1881.[4] It came under the management of Middlesex County Council in 1888 and was renamed the Wandsworth Asylum.[4]

During the First World War it became the Springfield War Hospital and, after the war, it became the Springfield Mental Hospital.[4] A new infirmary block to treat mentally ill patients who were also physically ill opened in July 1932.[4] During the Second World War a serious bout of dysentery broke out at the hospital.[4] It joined the National Health Service in 1948.[4]

It was one of the hospitals investigated in 1967 as a result of the publication of Barbara Robb's book "Sans Everything". The committee found that at least two of the charge nurses showed themselves prone to outbursts of ill-temper which expressed itself in violence.[5]

In 2004 John Barrett, a paranoid schizophrenic, walked out of the hospital and stabbed Dennis Finnegan, a cyclist, to death.[6]

At its heyday the hospital had 2,000 patients but is now reduced to under 300 inpatients. Much of the original hospital building is now disused, and there are plans to convert this to a residential development, "Springfield Village".[4] Proceeds are being used to create new state of the art mental health centres at Springfield and at Tolworth Hospital in Surbiton.[7][8]

In January 2020 £150 million of funding was approved to create eight new inpatient wards at the hospital.[9] In February 2020 the hospital was featured in the BBC documentary "On the Psych Ward".[10]

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References
  1. "Springfield University Hospital". South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  2. "Hospitals". Derelict London.
  3. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1065553)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  4. "Springfield University Hospital". Lost Hospitals of London. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  5. "Part 6 of Findings and Recommendations Following Enquiries into Allegations Concerning the Care of Elderly Patients in Certain Hospitals". Cmnd. 3687. HMSO. July 1968. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  6. "Mental care of killer condemned". BBC. 16 November 2006. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  7. "Springfield hospital redevelopment to go ahead despite protests". Evening Standard. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  8. "Bidders day for £160m London hospital upgrade". Construction Enquirer. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  9. "Go-ahead given for new £150m mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital". Wandsworth Times. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  10. "'You don't have time to panic': When Stacey Dooley met mental health nurses". BBC. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
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