The History of Orpington Hospital

 

Orpington Hospital is a hospital located in Orpington, in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is managed by the Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.

The hospital has its origins in the Orpington Cottage Hospital, which was built in 1890. This was replaced by a new hospital on the same site in 1907. The new hospital had 36 beds and cost £6,000 to build. It was opened by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll.

During the First World War, the hospital was used as a military hospital. In 1918, it had 24 beds for wounded soldiers and six beds for officers. After the war, it returned to being a cottage hospital.

In 1948, the National Health Service was established and the hospital became part of it. In 1950, a new maternity unit was opened at the hospital. In 1960, a new out-patient department was opened and in 1961 a new x-ray department was added.

In 1974, Orpington Hospital became part of Kent Area Health Authority and then South East Thames Regional Health Authority following reorganisation of the NHS in 1974. A new maternity unit opened at the hospital in 1977 and an intensive care unit followed in 1979. A purpose-built day surgery unit opened in 1985 along with an MRI scanner which was one of only four scanners available in Kent at that time.

The MRI scanner cost £1 million to install and took two years to raise funding for it through public donations from local people including £250,000 from Orpington Rotary Club fundraisers included parachute jumps from planes over Biggin Hill Airport . The first patient scanned on 5th July 1987 New operating theatres were built as part of an extension completed late 1990s . These were designed around "clean air" principles with laminar flow ventilation to minimise infection risk.

 The operating theatres incorporated equipment bays adjacent to each theatre where surgical instruments could be prepared prior to use thereby further reducing infection risk . Other additions late 1990s included children's assessment unit, women's health centre, renal dialysis unit, ophthalmology suite incorporating laser facilities . All these departments were housed within an extension which also provided office accommodation for many ofthe consultants who previously had been based off site.

In December 2002 plans were announced to replace Pembroke House - one ofthe main wards - with a purpose built facility incorporating en-suite bathrooms for all patients, day rooms, relatives' room etc. Work commenced Summer 2003 with Pembroke House closing shortly afterwards . The old building remained standing until early 2005 when demolition work started making way for landscaping associated with the openingof PRH (Pembroke Rehabilitation Hosptal) late 2005. This 30 bedded rehabilitation facility provides specialist care for patients requiring support following discharge from acute hospitals such as Queens, Guys & St Thomas's Hospitals in London.

It is operated by Oxleas NHSFTon behalf of Guy's & St Thomas' NHSFT and Kingston Hospitals NHSFT..PRH has its own entrance/exit separate from Orpington Hospital but shares certain back office functions such as HR, Estates Management etc.

Orpington Hospital has continued to evolve since PRH opened with additional developments including:

• 2006 - CT scanner relocated from Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH )to OH
• 2007 - New X-ray department opened in corporating Digital Radiography (DR) and Fluoroscopy (live X-ray imaging)
• 2008 - redevelopment of main reception area
• 2009 - Breast Care Unit relocated to OH from PRUH
• 2010 - closure of GP outpatients at OH with services moving to the PRUH
• 2011 - opening of Acute Stroke Unitat OH
• 2012 - installation of Linear Accelerato f or Cancer Treatment
• 2013 - openingof Urgent Care Centre at OH
• 2014 - start of the 'Oxleas@Home’ service providingcare in the home for non-acute surgical patients which has now been integrated into ‘One You Kent’
• 2018 – closure of the Minor Injuries Unit at OH with services moving to PRUH
• 2019 – opening of the ‘Bromley Birth Centre’within Orpington Maternity Unit providing a more homely and relaxed environment for low risk births

As can be seen Orpington Hospital has undergone many changes since it first opened its doors over 130 years ago!