The King Edward VII Hospital, in St. Leonard's Road, was opened by his late Majesty in 1909.
Here is a view of the Men's Ward in the King Edward VII Hospital. The photograph probably dates from soon after the hospital's opening in 1909.
On the 24th April 1928 there was a serious fire at the hospital. A defective flue in the roof above Queen Alexandra Ward caught fire. The fire had gained a firm hold before the fire brigade arrived and evacuation of the ward, as well as the neighbouring King Edward Ward was in hand. Within 15 minutes all the patients had been moved to safety but both wards were totally destroyed.
The initial fear that the whole hospital was at risk proved unfounded, the fire brigade getting the blaze under control by six o'clock in the evening.
There is a Pathé News film here of the fire at the hospital in 1928. Note the Princess Mary Fire Engine.
The Princess Mary Fire Engine
The hospital staff were greatly helped by soldiers from Combermere Barracks across the road, with evacuated patients being accommodated in the Military Hospital which was empty at the time. By dusk the forecourt of the hospital was full of salvaged furniture, bedding and equipment.
Within three weeks three temporary wards had been erected in the hospital grounds with two already in use. Subsequently the wards were rebuilt and the hospital enlarged, including a new nurses' home in the grounds.
The Nurses' Home built behind the hospital was used as a location in the film 'Carry on Cabby' of 1963.
Sid James's taxi arrives at the front of the Nurses' Home in Carry on Cabby
The hospital provides a number of out patient services including the Prince Charles Eye Unit. They also have x-ray machines (plain film dental, parapet and ultrasound) but deal with out patients exclusively in the following areas:
| Cardiology |
Diabetes |
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) |
| General surgery |
Gynaecology |
Haematology |
| Neurology |
Orthopaedics |
Oral and maxillofacial |
| Paediatrics |
Plastic surgery |
Respiratory |
| Rheumatology |
Urology |
Vascular |
They also have out-patient clinics for Audiology - hearing tests and hearing aids - and The Parapet for mammograms. All these clinics are useful to save local residents from the trek to Wexham Park Hospital north of Slough.
All the information and pictures are courtesy of The Royal Windsor Forum website,
http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/index.htm
Here is a sample of the many interesting photographs from that website.
Miss Henrietta Wedgewood was the first Matron at the hospital - she was replaced in 1915 by Miss Agnes Brooks
If you would like to add to this series please let BHA LOYAL know to avoid duplication of numbers and locations, thankyou.