Fountain Hospital

Material in this sub-group primarily originates from the period 1948-1960 and covers the work of Leslie Hilliard with the Fountain Hospital. The Fountain was predominantly known as a children's hospital specialising in mental deficiency. One folder contains an array of material relating to the Fountain Group. There are also Annual Reports covering the years 1949-1959, reprints from 1948-1960 and an assortment of published material.

The Fountain Hospital was originally built by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in 1893 as a temporary hospital to last approximately 10 years. The hospital was built to serve the mentally disabled and fever patients.

The hospital was closed in 1910 as patients were transferred to the Grove Fever Hospital opposite the Fountain. However a need for more hospital beds led to the Fountain re-admitting patients shortly afterwards as a temporary measure. In later years plans to build a new hospital were delayed by war and the Depression.

After re-opening, the hospital was primarily used as a place for mentally disabled children to stay and receive rehabilitation treatment so that they were given the best chance of being able to integrate into society . The hospital was also used as a place of research into mental disabilities. Administration of the hospital passed into the hands of London County Council in 1929. The hospital was bombed in 1944 which left a quarter of the building destroyed. The bombed area was later re-used as space for a children's playground. Administration was transferred to the NHS in 1948 and the Fountain Group Management Committee was established to run the Fountain Hospital and other facilities in the group, which included Osborne House, Hastings; Brooklands and Ellen Terry Home, Reigate; and South Side Home, Streatham.

In 1959 patients were transferred to Queen Mary's Hospital and the Fountain Group became the Fountain and Carshalton Group. The Fountain Hospital closed in 1963 and was demolished in the same year. Remaining patients were transferred to St. Ebba's in Epsom. The site has since been occupied by St. George's Hospital.

Material has been retained in its original order:

• HIL/1/1 Fountain Group folder
• HIL/1/2 Annual Reports
• HIL/1/3 Reprints
• HIL/1/4 Printed Material