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Watford Maternity Hospital

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Alternative name(s):
  • Watford Maternity Home (Formerly known as)
  • Watford General Hospital (Maternity Wing) (Later known as)
Date: 1826-1989
History: Hertfordshire County Nursing Association was established in 1908 to provide training for midwives. A Nursing Training Home was established in the same year at 31-33 Marlborough Road, Watford, but its premises were soon deemed too small. Southfield House was purchased in 1911. From 1919 it started to provide care for in-patients, using a hut provided by the Hertfordshire branch of the Red Cross Society, who stipulated that it should also be used to provide physiotherapy to disabled servicemen. The Maternity Ward with 12 beds opened in 1920 and was jointly managed by Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire County Nursing Association. A permanent residence for the home was provided and opened as Watford Maternity Home in 1935 at 21 King Street, Watford, which was purchased and then run by the County Council (after being briefly administered by the County Nursing Association until 1937).

Following the creation of the National Health Service in 1948 it was re-named Watford Maternity Hospital and managed by West Hertfordshire Hospital Management Committee in the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Hospital Board. At that time it had 57 beds for patients. In the mid 1950s it came to be linked with the Watford Peace Memorial Hospital. In 1968 it became part of Watford General Hospital. It was briefly called Watford General Hospital (Maternity Wing) before the decision to close it in 1969 was taken, with the opening of the new Maternity Unit at the Shrodells Wing of Watford General Hospital in Vicarage Road, Watford.
Places:
  • Watford, Hertfordshire
Functions, occupations and activities: Health and social care > Hospitals
History Links: webpage on Watford Maternity Hospital
References: Hosprec database; Lost Hospitals of London website
Name authority reference: GB/NNAF/C176494 (Former ISAAR ref: GB/NNAF/O105814 )
Collections
Number Description Held by Reference Further information
1
1826-1989: leases and agreements
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
Off Acc 1364
See Annual Return 2003
2
1944-1958: case registers and staff registers
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
Acc 985
3
1938-1948: management committee minutes and inventory
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
HSS/2/1-3
Related record creators
  Record creator Description of relationship Dates Category of relationship
1
Hertfordshire County Council
Watford Maternity Hospital was administered by Hertfordshire County Council, jointly with Hertfordshire County Association
1919-1948
Hierarchical
2
Hertfordshire County Nursing Association
Watford Maternity Hospital was administered by Hertfordshire County Association, jointly with Hertfordshire County Council
1919-1948
Hierarchical
3
North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, London
Watford Maternity Hospital was under the authority of North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board
1948-1974
Hierarchical
4
West Herts Group Hospital Management Committee
Watford Maternity Hospital was managed by the West Herts Group Hospital Management Committee
1948-1974
Hierarchical