Chalmers Hospital

This material is held atLothian Health Services Archive

  • Reference
    • GB 239 LHB4
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1861-1986
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English.
  • Physical Description
    • 8 shelf metres: bound volumes, papers, objects

Scope and Content

Management 1861-1949; finance 1947-1960; administration 1913-1990; history of the hospital 1926-1975; staff 1894-1978; nursing 1938-1986; patients (bound records) 1901-1983

Administrative / Biographical History

Founded through a bequest to the Faculty of Advocates by George Chalmers (1773-1836), an Edinburgh plumber and burgess. Lauriston House was purchased and the Hospital opened in 1872, taking a mixture of private and non-paying patients. It was requisitioned for injured civilians in 1939. Private beds were lost with the coming of the NHS in 1948. In 1951 Chalmers amalgamated with the Hospital for Diseases of Women Edinburgh. From 1948-1970, it was part of the Edinburgh Central Hospitals of South Eastern Regional Hospital Board and was with the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Associated Hospitals Board of Management, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Associated Hospitals Unit and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh National Health Service Trust thereafter.

Arrangement

Chronological within record class

Access Information

Normal 30 year and 75 year Scottish closure rules apply

Acquisition Information

A Masson, October 1984, and R. Purves, RIE NHS Trust, November 1998

Note

Records and minutes of the Chalmers Trust are held by the Faculty of Advocates

Compiled by Mike Barfoot and Jenny McDermott using existing handlists

Other Finding Aids

Manual item-level descriptive list available

Custodial History

Records held within the National Health Service prior to transfer

Accruals

No further accessions are expected

Related Material

Edinburgh Central Hospitals Board of Management (LHB29) Hospital for Diseases of Women Edinburgh (LHB31). Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (LHB1) Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Associated Hospitals Board of Management (LHB2) Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Samaritan Society (GD2) South Lothian District, Lothian Health Board (LHB28)

Bibliography

Boog Watson, W.N. A short history of Chalmers Hospital. Edinburgh: Livingstone, 1964.