Purey Cust Hospital Archive

Papers relating to the predecessor body York Home for Nurses, 1882-1913. Governance papers, including annual reports, annual general meetings, registers of members and legal papers, 1913-2000. Administration records, including Matron's records, statistics books, ward reports and patient records, 1914-2014. Staffing records, including registers of nurses and correspondence with individual nursing staff, c 1914-1985. Finance papers, including balance sheets, correspondence, mortgage and insurance papers, ledgers and paying-in books, [1910s]-1991. Premises papers, including the building of the Purey Cust Nursing Home, alterations to the building and proposed conversion of the Residence in Deans Park, c 1904-2004. Publicity papers, including newspaper cuttings, photographs and promotional materials, 1900s-1990s.

The Purey Cust hospital was opened in Precentor Court, York, in 1914. It was built by public subscriptions in honour of Arthur Percival Purey-Cust (1828-1916), Dean of York from 1880 to 1917. Canon Purey-Cust decided to use this money to build the nursing home on land leased from the Dean and Chapter opposite York Minster. The aim of the home was to provide low cost health care to those who could not otherwise afford treatment.
The launch of the National Health Service in 1948 saw the Nursing Home begin to suffer financial losses. That same year, the home had investments of £8000 held in a fund to support the education and operation of District Nurses. When District Nursing became the responsibility of Local Authorities under the National Health Service, it was agreed that the investments should be used to form a charitable trust (see Purey Cust Trust).
The hospital continued to treat private patients until it was taken over by Nuffield Health, Britain's largest charitable healthcare provider, in 1984, at which point it was renamed the Purey Cust Nuffield Hospital.
In the 1990s the hospital began treating NHS patients as well as private ones, before the building was closed in 2001 and a new site was found for a replacement hospital. Nuffield had originally at retaining the existing building, however this proved not to be possible.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws.
24 hours' notice is required to access photographic material.

The papers in accession 2018/027 were transferred to the archive direct from Nuffield Health.
The immediate source of acquisition for the papers in 2021/113 is the Trust Secretary, Purey Cust Trust. Note that this differs from the depositor.

The Purey Cust hospital was opened in Precentor Court, York, in 1914. It was built by public subscriptions in honour of Arthur Percival Purey-Cust (1828-1916), Dean of York from 1880 to 1917. Canon Purey-Cust decided to use this money to build the nursing home on land leased from the Dean and Chapter opposite York Minster. The aim of the home was to provide low cost health care to those who could not otherwise afford treatment.
The launch of the National Health Service in 1948 saw the Nursing Home begin to suffer financial losses. That same year, the home had investments of £8000 held in a fund to support the education and operation of District Nurses. When District Nursing became the responsibility of Local Authorities under the National Health Service, it was agreed that the investments should be used to form a charitable trust (see Purey Cust Trust).
The hospital continued to treat private patients until it was taken over by Nuffield Health, Britain's largest charitable healthcare provider, in 1984, at which point it was renamed the Purey Cust Nuffield Hospital.
In the 1990s the hospital began treating NHS patients as well as private ones, before the building was closed in 2001 and a new site was found for a replacement hospital. Nuffield had originally at retaining the existing building, however this proved not to be possible.

Generally good condition.
Staff wages book 1937-45 - loose boards;
Private nurses' payment statement book 1942-1946 - spine broken;
Statistics book 1979-85 - spine broken, boards loose;
Matron's address book c.1969-c.1978 - sellotape repairs and loose inserts;
Accounts ledger 1958-68 - red rot;
Decisions and regulations book 1954-66 - sellotape repairs and loose items;
Newspaper cuttings book 1906-84 - acidic cuttings glued into volume (some loose), possible fire damage.

Created by Laura Yeoman, 07.06.2021.

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

Photocopies of burial entries in the parish of Belton, Lincs 1840-1914 to be returned to donor or destroyed as confidential waste
Weeded annual reports for duplicates and destroyed as confidential waste as depositor gave permission to destroy.

The papers in accession 2018/027 were transferred to the archive direct from Nuffield Health.
The papers in accession 2021/113 were created by staff and directors at the Purey Cust Trust (and its predecessor organisation) during the course of their duties. In around 2000, the papers were acquired by the mother-in-law of the depositor, who was a member of nursing staff at the Purey Cust Nursing Home. The papers then passed to her son-in-law, who offered them to either the Pury Cust Trust or the Borthwick Institute in March 2021. The papers were sent to the Purey Cust Trust for their consideration in March 2021, and were passed to the archives service in May 2021.

Further accruals are not expected.

The Purey Cust Trust archive, which owned the building, is catalogued with reference PCT.

Published

GB193