St Mary's Hospital is a

teaching hospital A teaching hospital or university hospital is a hospital or medical center that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities a ...

Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...

, in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...

, London, founded in 1845. Since the UK's first academic health science centre was created in 2008, it has been operated by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which also operates Charing Cross Hospital,

Hammersmith Hospital Hammersmith Hospital, formerly the Military Orthopaedic Hospital, and later the Special Surgical Hospital, is a major teaching hospital in White City, London, White City, West London. It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the ...

, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital and the Western Eye Hospital. Until 1988 the hospital ran St Mary's Hospital Medical School, part of the federal

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

. In 1988 it merged with

Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...

, and then with Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School in 1997 to form

Imperial College School of Medicine Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) is the undergraduate medical school of Imperial College London in England and one of the United Hospitals. It is part of the college's Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and was ...

. In 2007 Imperial College became an independent institution when it withdrew from the

History

Development of the hospital

The original block of St Mary's Hospital in Norfolk Place was designed by Thomas Hopper in the classical style. It first opened its doors to patients in 1851, the last of the great voluntary hospitals to be founded. Among St Mary's founders was the surgeon Isaac Baker Brown, a controversial figure who performed numerous clitoridectomies at the London Surgical Home, his hospital for women, and who "immediately set to work to remove the

clitoris In amniotes, the clitoris ( or ; : clitorises or clitorides) is a female sex organ. In humans, it is the vulva's most erogenous zone, erogenous area and generally the primary anatomical source of female Human sexuality, sexual pleasure. Th ...

whenever he had the opportunity of doing so." It was at St Mary's Hospital that C.R. Alder Wright first synthesized

diamorphine Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

in 1874. The Clarence Memorial Wing, designed by Sir William Emerson and built with its main frontage on Praed Street, opened in 1904. It was at the hospital that

Alexander Fleming Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist, best known for discovering the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. His discovery in 1928 of wha ...

discovered

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of beta-lactam antibiotic, β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' Mold (fungus), moulds, principally ''Penicillium chrysogenum, P. chrysogenum'' and ''Penicillium rubens, P. ru ...

in 1928. Fleming's laboratory has been restored and incorporated into a museum about the discovery and his life and work. The private Lindo wing, where there have been several royal and celebrity births, opened in November 1937; it was financed by businessman and hospital board member Frank Charles Lindo, who made a large donation before his death in 1938. Following the 1944 publication of a report by Sir William Goodenough advocating a minimum size for teaching hospitals, and following the formation of the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

in the 1948, several local hospitals became affiliated to St Mary's Hospital. These included Paddington General Hospital, the Samaritan Hospital for Women and the Western Eye Hospital. In the 1950s, Felix Eastcott, a consultant surgeon and deputy director of the surgical unit at St Mary's Hospital, carried out pioneering work on

carotid endarterectomy Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure used to reduce the risk of stroke from carotid artery stenosis (narrowing the internal carotid artery). In an endarterectomy, the surgeon opens the artery and removes the plaque. The plaque forms ...

designed to reduce the risk of

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

. Paddington General Hospital closed and relocated services to the Paddington basin site in November 1986 and, in common with the other London teaching hospitals who lost their independence at that time, the medical school of St Mary's Hospital merged with that of

in 1988. In 1987 as part of on-going rationalisation within the NHS, the hundred year old Paddington Green Children's Hospital was closed down, the

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

s sold off and its services absorbed into St Mary's.

Notable births

Royal family * Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (born 1974) son of the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

Duchess of Gloucester Duchess of Gloucester is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Gloucester. There have been five titles referring to Gloucester since the 14th century. The current duchess is Birgitt ...

* Lady Davina Windsor (born 1977) daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester * Peter Phillips (born 1977)son of the Princess Royal and

Mark Phillips Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September 1948) is an English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman for Great Britain and the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, with whom he has two children. He remains a leading figure in British equ ...

* Lord Frederick Windsor (born 1979)son of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and Princess Michael of Kent * Lady Rose Gilman (born 1980) daughter of

and

Zara Tindall Zara Anne Elizabeth Tindall (; born 15 May 1981) is a British equestrianism, equestrian, Olympic Games, Olympian, socialite and member of the British royal family. She is the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips, and the ...

(born 1981)daughter of the Princess Royal and Mark Phillips * Lady Gabriella Kingston (born 1981) daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent *

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his pat ...

(born 1982)first son of King Charles III and

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

* Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (born 1983)daughter of the King Constantine II of Greece and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece *

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. As the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is fifth in the line of succession to t ...

(born 1984) second son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales * Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark (born 1986) son of King Constantine II of Greece and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece * Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (born 1988) son of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews and Sylvana Windsor, Countess of St Andrews * Prince George of Wales (born 2013) first son of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales * Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015) daughter of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales * Prince Louis of Wales (born 2018) – second son of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales Other notable births * Seal (born 1963) British musician * Olivia Robertson (1917–2013) author, co-founder and High Priestess of the Fellowship of Isis *

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

(born 1954) British musician * Kiefer Sutherland (born 1966) Canadian actor * Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro (born 1978)son of the

and Duchess of Wellington * Lady Charlotte Wellesley (born 1990)daughter of the 9th Duke of Wellington * Michael Page (born 1987)British professional boxer and mixed martial artist * Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp (born 1994)

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the Spencer earldom, nephew of Diana, Princess of Wales and first cousin of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex * Admiral Schofield (born 1997) American basketball player, currently with the Orlando Magic

Notable staff and alumni

* Arthur Cecil Alport physician who first identified Alport syndrome in 1927 * Roger Bannister first man to run a four-minute mile, professor of neurology * Dorothy Bannon – matron 1922–1928, subsequently first Chief Matron-in-Charge of the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

Hospital and School Nursing Service * Aleck Bournegynaecologist best known for his 1938 trial, a landmark case in abortion law * William Broadbent 19th-century neurologist and cardiologist * John Scott Burdon-Sanderson

Regius Professor A Regius Professor is a university Professor (highest academic rank), professor who has, or originally had, Monarchy of the United Kingdom, royal patronage or appointment. They are a unique feature of academia in the United Kingdom and Republic ...

Medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

and

Royal Medal The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal and The King's Medal (depending on the gender of the monarch at the time of the award), is a silver-gilt medal, of which three are awarded each year by the Royal Society. Two are given for "the mo ...

winner * J. Jackson Clarke pathologist, surgeon, and cancer researcher * Leonard Colebrook physician and bacteriologist, MBBS in 1906, who, in 1935, showed

Prontosil Prontosil is an antibacterial drug of the sulfonamide group. It has a relatively broad effect against gram-positive cocci but not against enterobacteria. One of the earliest antimicrobial drugs, it was widely used in the mid-20th century but is ...

was effective against haemolytic streptococcus of puerperal fever * Zachary Cope – surgeon and medical historian * Ara Darzi, Baron Darzi of Denham Health Minister *

awarded the

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

for discovery of

* Nim Hall England rugby captain * John Henry clinical

toxicologist Toxicology is a scientific discipline (academia), discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnos ...

who did crucial work on

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

ing and

drug overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

* Amanda Herbert cytopathologist and histopathologist, editor of ''Cytopathology'' from 2008 to 2014 and co-editor of ''Eurocytology.eu'' * Albert Neuberger professor of chemical

pathology Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

* Tom Oppé professor of paediatrics * Tuppy Owen-Smith international rugby player and cricketer * William Stanley Peart professor of medicine, isolated and determined the structure of

angiotensin Angiotensin is a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction and an increase in blood pressure. It is part of the renin–angiotensin system, which regulates blood pressure. Angiotensin also stimulates the release of aldosterone from the adr ...

* Arthur Porritt, Baron PorrittPresident of the British Medical Association and the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgery, surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wa ...

and

Governor-General of New Zealand The governor-general of New Zealand () is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and lives in the United Kingdom, he, on the Advice ...

* Rodney Robert Porter awarded the

for research on the chemical structure of

antibodies An antibody (Ab) or immunoglobulin (Ig) is a large, Y-shaped protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily which is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize antigens such as bacteria and viruses, including those that caus ...

* Bernard Spilsbury pathologist and one of the pioneers of modern

forensic medicine Forensic medicine is a broad term used to describe a group of medical specialties which deal with the examination and diagnosis of individuals who have been injured by or who have died because of external or unnatural causes such as poisoning, assa ...

* Joseph Toynbee otologist * Augustus Waller whose research led to the invention of the electrocardiogram (ECG) * J. P. R. Williams international rugby player * Almroth Wright advanced

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

through the use of autogenous vaccines * Charles Romley Alder Wright first person to synthesize heroin in 1874 * Wu Lien-tehlater to be the Plague fighter of China

Associations

St Mary's Hospital is located beside London Paddington railway station, the principal station of the

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...

and its successors. In celebration of the association, a British Rail Class 43 (InterCity 125) locomotive, 43142, was named ''St Mary's Hospital, Paddington'' on 4 November 1986. The locomotive is still in service but, following changes of ownership, the name has now been removed. One of the large metal nameplates was acquired by the hospital, and is now displayed in the foyer of the Cambridge Wing.

Major trauma centre

St Mary's Hospital is one of four major trauma centres in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. The other three are: King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill, The Royal London Hospital in

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

, and St George's Hospital in Tooting.

Cosmic Charity

The charity Cosmic is an independent charity, supporting the work of the neonatal and paediatric intensive care services at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington and Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Hammersmith, both part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London. The charity funds a range of specialist equipment for the units, including ventilators and patient monitoring systems for those being treated on the wards, as well as providing practical and emotional support to families.

In popular culture

In the British

preschool A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an school, educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they ...

animated television series '' Peppa Pig'', Peppa's little sister Evie was born at the Lindo Wing on 20 May 2025.

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

Special events commemorate ten years of the Faculty of Medicine

External links

*
St Mary's Hospital on the NHS website

Care Quality Commission inspection reports
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's Hospital, London 1845 establishments in England Hospital buildings completed in 1845 Buildings and structures in the City of Westminster Christian hospitals Health in the City of Westminster Hospitals established in 1845 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust NHS hospitals in London Teaching hospitals in London Paddington Voluntary hospitals