Charing Cross Hospital (Hansard, 29 July 1958)

§ Mr. Walker-Smith

On 9th February, 1955, the House was informed by the then Minister that the Government's plans for hospital building expected to start in the next few years included a project for the rebuilding of Charing Cross Hospital at Northwick Park, Harrow. This proposal has had to be abandoned because further consideration by the University of London and the University Grants Committee caused these bodies to decide that it was not in the best interests of medical education to remove the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School to Northwick Park.

The existing Charing Cross Hospital building is outmoded and inadequate for hospital purposes, and it cannot be properly redeveloped on the same site. To meet University requirements, the new site must be within reasonable access of all the facilities of the University including the basic sciences and general student activities, and in August last the responsible hospital authorities were asked to consider the possibility of rebuilding on the site of the existing Fulham Hospital, which is in close proximity to these University facilities and which also requires rebuilding. I am glad to say that a large measure of agreement has been reached by the responsible hospital authorities about the practicability of amalgamating Charing Cross Hospital, the West London Hospital, the Fulham Hospital and the Fulham Maternity Hospital, as a first step towards the ultimate replacement of all of them by a new general teaching hospital at Fulham.

I have given close and careful consideration to all the representations made to me, including those made by the Committee headed by the Mayor of Fulham, and I am satisfied that the Board of Governors of Charing Cross Hospital, in close co-operation with the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, will provide a service to the locality which will compare favourably with that which might have been provided by the rebuilding of Fulham Hospital as a non-teaching hospital.

119W

I propose, therefore, to make arrangements for the proposed regrouping at the earliest practicable date so that the replanning of the new teaching hospital may proceed without delay. The necessary facilities for clinical teaching will be provided at the new hospital but the question of pre-clinical facilities is under consideration in consultation with the University and the University Grants Committee.