LHB4  Chalmers Hospital

Collection Summary

Reference Code: GB239 LHB4
Title: Chalmers Hospital
Dates of Creation of Material: 1861-1986
Level of Description: Fonds
Extent and Medium of the Unit of Description: 8 shelf metres: bound volumes, papers

Name of creator(s): Chalmers Hospital
Administrative History: Founded through a bequest to the Faculty of Advocates by George Chalmers (1773-1836), an Edinburgh plumber and burgess. Lauriston House was purchased and the Hospital opened in 1872, taking a mixture of private and non-paying patients. It was requisitioned for injured civilians in 1939. Private beds were lost with the coming of the NHS in 1948. In 1951 Chalmers amalgamated with the Hospital for Diseases of Women Edinburgh. From 1948-1970, it was part of the Edinburgh Central Hospitals of South Eastern Regional Hospital Board and was with the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Associated Hospitals Board of Management, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Associated Hospitals Unit and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh National Health Service Trust thereafter.
Archival History: Records held within the National Health Service prior to transfer
Immediate Source of Acquisition or Transfer: A. Masson, October 1984, and R. Purves, RIE NHS Trust, November 1998


Scope and Content: Management 1861-1949; administration 1913-1990; history of the hospital 1926-1975; staff 1894-1978; nursing 1938-1986; patients (bound records) 1901-1983; plans 1965
Accruals: No further accessions are expected
System of Arrangement: Chronological within record class


Conditions Governing Access: Public access to these records is governed by UK data protection legislation, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, and the current Scottish Government Records Management: NHS Code of Practice (Scotland).
Conditions Governing Reproduction: Reproduction is subject to closure periods and physical condition
Language/Scripts of Material: English

Related Units of Description:
Edinburgh Central Hospitals Board of Management (LHB29)
Hospital for Diseases of Women Edinburgh (LHB31)
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (LHB1)
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Associated Hospitals Board of Management (LHB2)
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Samaritan Society (GD2)
South Lothian District, Lothian Health Board (LHB28)
Publication Note:
Boog Watson, W.N. A short history of Chalmers Hospital Edinburgh: Livingstone, 1964


Note: Records and minutes of the Chalmers Trust are held by the Faculty of Advocates


Archivists' Notes: Compiled by Mike Barfoot and Jenny McDermott using existing handlists
Rules or Conventions: Description based on ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description International Council on Archives (2nd edition), 2000
Date(s) of Description: May 2000; revised August 2002, June 2007, August 2009, January 2011