West London Hospital

West London Hospital
West London Hospital
Location within Hammersmith and Fulham
Geography
Location	Hammersmith, London, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates	51.49321°N 0.22210°W / 51.49321; -0.22210
History
Opened	1856
Closed	1993
Links
Lists	Hospitals in England

The West London Hospital was founded in 1856 as the Fulham and Hammersmith General Dispensary, which was housed in a small 6-roomed building in Queen Street, Hammersmith. It catered for acute conditions and later for geriatric, maternity, rehabilitation and long-stay conditions.

History

Increasing demand led to the leasing of larger premises of Elm Tree House in Hammersmith Road in 1860.[1] At this time it began to admit in-patients, mainly victims of industrial accidents.[1] In 1863 it was renamed the West London Hospital.[1] It was granted a royal charter on 1 November 1894.[2] During the First World War its 36 beds were reserved for sick and wounded servicemen.[1]

In February 1925 Princess Mary opened a new wing financed by Dan Mason.[1] This had an accident ward of 16 beds, separate cancer wards for male and female patients, each with 7 beds, 26 rooms for private patients and 2 operating theatres. Private patients were charged 5 guineas (£5.25) a week for a single room and 4 guineas (£4.20) for a double room.[1] In 1937 a new block on the eastern corner of the Hospital was added - the Silver Jubilee Extension - and was officially opened by Queen Mary.[1]

The hospital's accident and emergency department closed in the 1970s when Charing Cross Hospital moved from central London to new premises on Fulham Palace Road.[1] In 1993 its remaining services were moved to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Fulham Road.[1] The building was sold and refurbished as offices and named Saunders House.[1] The facade is listed and has been preserved. The building was previously rented by Sony Ericsson, and temporarily renamed Sony Ericsson House; it is now simply known as 202 Hammersmith Road. The freehold is owned by a Middle Eastern investor.[1]

The property is presently the headquarters of Victoria Beckham's fashion brand.[3][4] It was reported in 2018 that the property had been bought for £16.8 million by the Emirati investment holding company SRG Holding.[5]

References

1. "West London Hospital". Lost hospitals of London. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
2. "Administrative records of the West London Hospital". National Archives. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
3. "Victoria Beckham FAQ". Victoria Beckham International website. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
4. "Victoria Beckham's flagship office HQ hits the catwalk - London W6". Savills UK website. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
5. "Victoria Beckham's Hammersmith Road HQ Sold for £16.8 Million". Hammersmith Today. Retrieved 6 February 2025.