The Whittington Hospital is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

 in Archway, Islington

London Borough of Islington

The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. It is named after Richard Whittington

Richard Whittington

Sir Richard Whittington was a medieval merchant and politician, and the real-life inspiration for the pantomime character Dick Whittington. Sir Richard Whittington was four times Lord Mayor of London, a Member of Parliament and a sheriff of London...

.

It is a district general hospital, although it is also a teaching hospital

Teaching hospital

A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...

 of the UCL Medical School and Middlesex University

Middlesex University

Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...

 School of Health and Social Sciences.

History

Although some medical services have been delivered on the site since 1473, the current hospital has its origins in the Small Pox and Vaccination Hospital, built in 1848. Independently managed hospitals were founded on the Archway Site and the Highgate Site. In 1946, all three hospitals were brought together. The current hospital has 470 beds.

A number of other medical facilities have been incorporated into the Whittington Hospital over the years. When the City of London Maternity Hospital was founded in 1750, it was called the Hospital for Married Women in the City of London and parts adjacent and also for sick and lame outpatients. In 1751, it moved, and was renamed the City of London Lying-in Hospital for Married Ladies. It moved again in 1773 to premises between St. Luke's Hospital for Lunatics and the Fox and Goose Ale House in the City Road

City Road

City Road or The City Road is a road that runs through inner north and central London. The northwestern extremity of the road is at the Angel, Islington where it forms a continuation of Pentonville Road. Pentonville Road itself is the modern name for London's first bypass, the New Road from...

. In 1918, it became the City of London Maternity Hospital and was eventually incorporated into the main hospital.