Guy's Hospital | |
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King's Health Partners Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust |
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Geography | |
Location | London, SE1, United Kingdom |
Organisation | |
Care system | Public NHS |
Hospital type | Teaching |
Affiliated university | King's College London / KCLMS |
Services | |
Emergency department | No. A&E at St Thomas' Hospital or King's College Hospital |
Beds | 400 |
History | |
Founded | 1721 |
Links | |
Website | www |
Lists | Hospitals in the United Kingdom |
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. It is a large teaching hospital and is, with St Thomas' Hospital and King's College Hospital, the location of King's College London School of Medicine (formerly known as the GKT School of Medicine). The Tower Wing (formerly known as Guy's Tower) is the world's second tallest hospital building, standing at 148.65 metres (487.7 ft) with 34 floors.
The hospital was founded in 1721 by Thomas Guy, a publisher of unlicensed Bibles who had made a fortune in the South Sea Bubble. It was originally established as a hospital to treat "incurables" discharged from St Thomas' Hospital. Guy had been a Governor and benefactor of St Thomas' and his fellow Governors supported his intention by granting the south-side of St Thomas' Street for a peppercorn rent for 999 years. Guy is interred in the crypt of the Chapel of his foundation.
Guy's has expanded over the centuries. The original buildings formed a courtyard facing St Thomas Street, comprising the hall on the east side and the Chapel, Matron's House and Surgeon's House on the west-side. Two inner quadrangles were divided by a cloister which was later restyled and dedicated to the hospital's members who fell in World War I. The east side comprised the care wards and the 'counting house' with the governors 'Burfoot Court Room'. The north-side quadrangle is dominated by a statue of Lord Nuffield who was the chairman of governors for many years and also a major benefactor. These original parts of the hospital are now administrative and social accommodation.