Records of Nottingham Eye Hospital, 1860-1978

The papers from the Eye Hospital include minutes of the House and General Committee (1860-1969) and of the Joint Committee of the Midland Eye Infirmary and Nottingham General Hospital Group (1951-1969). Other administrative papers include annual accounts (1924-1947), correspondence and legal papers (1921-1947), and annual reports (1867 and 1911-1946). Visitors' books are present (1912-1968), as are a series of photographs (1912-1948) and a volume of newspaper cuttings (1937-1949).

Few patient records have survived, but the collection includes casualty record books (1949-1975) and a register listing surgeons and the special payments received (c.1948-1950).

An Eye Dispensary was first established in Nottingham on Park Row in 1859. In 1866 it moved to 56 St. James' Street and its title changed to The Nottingham and Midland Eye Infirmary. As the volume of work increased, these premises became inadequate and, in 1912, a purpose-built Eye Hospital was opened on the Ropewalk. In 1959, the Infirmary's title again changed to The Nottingham Eye Hospital.

For a time, from 1978, eye casualty services were divided between the Ropewalk and the new University Hospital, but all eye services were eventually transferred to the latter in 1982, the Ropewalk building becoming the headquarters of the Nottinghamshire Family Practitioner Committee.

The papers are listed chronologically within series arranged by form; e.g. minutes, operations books.

Parts of the collection are accessible to all registered readers but all unpublished records are closed to general access for a minimum of thirty years. All patient and clinical records are closed to general access for a period of 100 years from date of creation. Please contact the department for further advice.

Copyright in all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.

In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus:

Typescript Catalogue 26 pp

At the National Register of Archives, London:

Typescript Catalogue 4 pp [Please note that the catalogue at King's Meadow Campus, and the online version on the Manuscripts Online Catalogue, is more up to date]

On the World Wide Web:

Catalogue available through the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Manuscripts Online Catalogue. This catalogue includes more recent accruals than the typescript catalogue.

Photocopies and photographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The University first acquired records from the Eye Hospital in 1975. Further accruals were received at various times up to 1992.

Other Nottingham hospital collections held at The University of Nottingham; Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections: Nh, Uh, Uhc, Uhf, Uhg, Uhh, Uhne, Uhw, Uht.