The London Hospital.

[wilfb]

We have a very interesting post from an email recipient re: The London Hospital, which we have permission to post. Please feel free to respond...

'Hi , I have really enjoyed your web site, many thanks. However I was puzzled to see that The London (now The Royal London....as apposed to Barts, which I am pretty sure isnt still), The London has been lumped in with the Mildmay.....a few people were linked there for training by the early 80's but The London is rather bigger than the Mildlmay and surely deserves a mention in its own right?
Many thanks .............

[wilfb]

I responded as follows:-

Hi .........

I have now checked our paper records.

They indicate that The Royal London (at the time of our 1974 record) was
indeed, as we outline in the NE Metropolitan Region list, known as the
'Royal London Hospital of St Bartholemew School of Nursing'. The Chief
Nursing Officer is listed as Miss RM Jones, and the PNO (Teaching) as Miss H
Collyer, SRN SCM RNT.

I don't think that Mildmay was lumped in, as we have it recorded
separately - I do see The London Hospital being included for nurse training
as per the record. I don't know which hospital badge would have been
awarded - you will see our query re the Mildmay badge on the record. Perhaps
that has misled?

However, at the time of our records covering all schools of nursing recorded
by the GNC in 1974 the Royal London was referred to as being 'Royal London
Hospital of St Bartholemew School of Nursing'.

Whilst this may not seem very satisfactory the record cannot be changed
unless we can locate a recorded error. The Royal London would indeed seem to
warrant it's own well known name - the problem would seem to lie with the
GNC records if they are incorrect. I will, whilst awaiting the response
sought form our expert (I think that he may have run into the same error
difference!), see if I can find another official name for the school and if
so the recorded date of the change.

A bit different to the 'Three feathers' - but at least it makes for a
welcome drink! (Apologies). We will seek further....

Will.

[wilfb]

A Reply from our email recipient...

Hi thanks for your reply... I trained at the london from 1981 and it was very definitely not part of the same training school as Barts.... they merged ? in the 1990's I believe and are only know issuing a joint badge... I saw it at the last reunion Barts badge and The Royal London badge are different...Barts' is a little chevron black and white, The Royal London is a silver wreath with the 3 silver feathers mounted on the red and white stripes of the coroartion of the City of London. The school of nursing was in my day the Princess Alexandra School of Nursing.... I am sure that via our league web site you would find an old tutor who would clairfy this... xxxx xxxx was my tutor and worked after Barts' and The London merged. I do think that the GNC records are wrong! In 1980 I applied and was given, but at seperate interviews, a place at Barts' to train and a place at The London.... I chose The London. It seems it could be a typo, because the Queen didn't grant royal status until? 1997 to The Royal London, and I am not sure that Barts' has that now. thanks for your help.

**(My note - Will). I have left out non-essential parts of the email discussion, but think that email recipient has a point worth clarifying, which, after checking our paper records I have been unable to achieve. I am adding the relevant links (the detail of which correspond exactly with the GNC schools of nursing information for 1974) and wonder if anyone can pick this up? The links follow.

http://schoolsofnursing.co.uk/RoyalStBartholNEM74.htm

http://schoolsofnursing.co.uk/MildmaymissNEM74.htm

http://www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk/PrincessAlexsonNWM74.htm

Please note also my inclusion of The London badge as second preference to Mildmay, which we did not possess. Perhaps that was an error?
Will.

[wilfb]

The answer to our email recipient' s Query (which she is happy with)....
 
Bingo! The answer is that the GNC records for 1974 are absolutely correct, as you yourself have already pointed out perhaps not realising it, in your emails.

The London Hospital.
Was, in 1974, the North Eastern Metroplitan Regions' Princess Alexandra School of Nursing. Your comment about The London being worthy on a mention in its own right was correct, and it was correctly acknowledged here:-
 
http://www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk/PrincessAlexsonNWM74.htm
 
Some schools issued Hospital badges, some schools of nursing badges. The London was a hospital badge.
 
Mildmay Hospital.
Your comment re: Mildmay School was also correct, it was a small associated hospital, but not very charitable, since The London started in 1740 and the link between the two was - 'the merchant seaman and manufacturing classes’: the East End community of the time'. One of the original reasons de etre of Mildmay Hospital...

http://schoolsofnursing.co.uk/MildmaymissNEM74.htm
 
The 1974 GNC entry was/is correct.

The Royal Hospital of St Bartholemew.
This entry 1974 was/is also correct. Perhaps we were distracted a much later timeline1994, when Barts and the London (The Royal London from 1990), merged. A further merger is planned between The London/Barts andNewham and Whipps Cross for 2012.

http://schoolsofnursing.co.uk/RoyalStBartholNEM74.htm

So, in conclusion, I hope that we have provided a satistactory answer to your query. The London already had it's own well recognised school - the Princess Alexandra; Mildmay also had it's own school with close training associations; and The London became a joint NHS Trust:-

http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/about-us/introducing-barts-and-the-london/

And nurse training is now a University matter:-

www.city.ac.uk

The original GNC information we provided is correct - plus we now have a Mildmay badge for the appropriate card - the difficulty is now dating it. Does it fit the 1974 timeline?.....

Best Regards,
Will B.

Ps. We gathered a little further information about Mildmay:-

http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cats/23/3987.htm

Including the fact that the original hospital closed in December 1982. I belive that like the Phoenix, it may have been reborn. Any additinal information would be very welcome.

[jsmile]

hello,
I did my training at the london Hospital from 1976 to 1978.It was not at that time linked with st Barts.It became The royal London in the early 80's.We had our own Hospital Badge. In 1990 - 1991 I did my conversion course at the royal London Hospital. Mildmay had joined with the London Hospital as far as i can remember just before i started my training in '76(I had been acceppted by Mildmay,but then had to go for interview at the London.) Hope this helps.