Bruntsfield Hospital was a women's hospital based in the

Bruntsfield Bruntsfield is a largely residential area around Bruntsfield Place in Southern Edinburgh, Scotland. In feudal times, it fell within the barony of Colinton. Location Bruntsfield Place is less than south on the A702 main road from the West e ...

area of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, Scotland.

History

Former Bruntsfield Hospital plaque and tablet

Sophia Jex-Blake memorial plaque, St Giles Edinburgh

The hospital had its origins in

public dispensary A public dispensary, charitable dispensary or free dispensary gives advice and medicines free-of-charge, or for a small charge. Provident dispensary In the 19th and early 20th centuries a provident dispensary was a clinic offering medical care ...

opened by

Sophia Jex-Blake Sophia Louisa Jex-Blake (21 January 1840 – 7 January 1912) was an English physician, teacher and feminist. She led the campaign to secure women access to a University education when she and six other women, collectively known as the Edi ...

at 73 Grove Street in September 1878. It moved to 6 Grove Street, a building large enough to provide in-patient services, as the Edinburgh Hospital and Dispensary for Women and Children in 1885. When Jex-Blake retired and moved away in 1899, the trustees acquired her house, Bruntsfield Lodge, and fitted it out as an 18-bed women's hospital. The hospital committee was led by well-connected women active in various social reform projects such as

Flora Stevenson Flora Clift Stevenson (30 October 1839 – 28 September 1905) was a British social reformer with a special interest in education for poor or neglected children, and in education for girls and equal university access for women. She was one of t ...

. In 1910 the hospital merged with "The Hospice", a small maternity home which had been established by

Elsie Inglis Eliza Maud "Elsie" Inglis (16 August 1864 – 26 November 1917) was a Scottish doctor, surgeon, teacher, Women's suffrage, suffragist, and founder of the Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service, Scottish Women's Hospitals. She was the ...

and the Medical Women's Club at 11 George Square some eleven years previously. A new ward block, designed by

Arthur Forman Balfour Paul Arthur Forman Balfour Paul (7 August 1875 – 3 June 1938) (affectionately known as "Baffy" Paul) was a Scottish architect operating largely in the early 20th century. Life He was born in Edinburgh on 7 August 1875, the son of Sir James Balfo ...

, was officially opened by Queen Mary in July 1911. The hospital was joined the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

in 1948 and closed in 1989. The building was then converted for residential use and is now known as Greenhill Court.

References

External links

History of Bruntsfield Hospital (Lothian Health Services Archive)Bruntsfield Hospital and Elsie Inglis Memorial Maternity Hospital (Lothian Health Services Archive)
- Lecture given by Margaret Menzies Campbell (Archived at

University of Dundee , mottoeng = "My soul doth magnify the Lord" , established = 1967 – gained independent university status by Royal Charter1897 – Constituent college of the University of St Andrews1881 – University College , ...

. Also available from

Mitchell Library The Mitchell Library is a large public library and centre of the City Council public library system of Glasgow, Scotland. History The library, based in the Charing Cross district, was initially established in Ingram Street in 1877 following a ...

, Glasgow) {{authority control Hospitals in Edinburgh Defunct hospitals in Scotland Hospitals established in 1878 1878 establishments in Scotland Hospitals disestablished in 1989 1989 disestablishments in Scotland History of Edinburgh Dispensaries in the United Kingdom