This is one i have not seen posted on here before but i assume at least a few will have been here before
History
Located in the Barnes/Mortlake area of southwest the hospital opened in 1889 as Barnes Isolation Hospital focusing on treating and caring for patients with infectious diseases such as diphtheria and scarlet fever. In 1948 the hospital was absorbed by the NHS to become a part of the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board under the control of the Kingston Group Hospital Management Committee.
By 1949, as a result of the development of antibiotics the original purpose for the hospital in treating infectious desease wained and larger parts of the hospital lay unused as infectious disease patients were transferred to Tolworth Hospital. As such it was decided to repurpose the hospital to be used for the treatment and care of patients with long term chronic conditions, with a capacity of 90 beds. It was also at this point the hospital was renamed to be Barnes Hospital. Doorways were fitted with ramps so that patients could be wheeled outdoors in fine weather. Gradually the number of beds was increased and, by 1955, there were 114 beds with 98% occupancy. In 1956 only geriatric patients were admitted. By 1976 there were 100 beds and, by 1976, these had reduced to 60.
History
Located in the Barnes/Mortlake area of southwest the hospital opened in 1889 as Barnes Isolation Hospital focusing on treating and caring for patients with infectious diseases such as diphtheria and scarlet fever. In 1948 the hospital was absorbed by the NHS to become a part of the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board under the control of the Kingston Group Hospital Management Committee.
By 1949, as a result of the development of antibiotics the original purpose for the hospital in treating infectious desease wained and larger parts of the hospital lay unused as infectious disease patients were transferred to Tolworth Hospital. As such it was decided to repurpose the hospital to be used for the treatment and care of patients with long term chronic conditions, with a capacity of 90 beds. It was also at this point the hospital was renamed to be Barnes Hospital. Doorways were fitted with ramps so that patients could be wheeled outdoors in fine weather. Gradually the number of beds was increased and, by 1955, there were 114 beds with 98% occupancy. In 1956 only geriatric patients were admitted. By 1976 there were 100 beds and, by 1976, these had reduced to 60.
With the establishment of NHS trusts under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 the hospital came under the control of the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust which provides provides mental health services for adults, older people, children and adolescents living in the London boroughs of Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth.
In 2001 the existing buildings of the Hospital were extensively renovated and a new extension added. In 2008 Barnes hospital consisted of the Out-Patients Department (Linstead Lodge), a Day Hospital, various wards (also named Lodges) and the Enid Balint Centre. It had 63 beds and provided services to the elderly mentally ill. But the Hospitals decline would come properly in 2013 when as part of a longer term strategy towards a "care in the community" resulting in falling admission numbers the inpatient wards at Barnes Hospital closed for good.
When a consultation on the future location of inpatient mental health services for South West London was launched in 2014, Barnes Hospital failed to make the shortlist for preferred sites losing out to Springfield and Tolworth hospitals. This consultation report cited an earlier 2012 report from The Barnes Hospital Working Group which concluded that inpatient services for people living in and near Richmond could not safely continue at Barnes hospital due to the fall in the number of patients being treated there, and noted that future inpatient use as part of a wider network of inpatient care across south west London would not be practical given the hospital’s location on the fringe of south west London. The report also included the Trust’s stated intention to maintain mental health outpatient services at Barnes but noted that the Barnes site had a number of buildings that were considered to be important to the local heritage and therefore could prove potentially restrictive regarding any new build there. Access is also constrained by the surrounding transport infrastructure and housing that is adjacent to the site. Because of these issues it would be difficult to build the type of design that the Trust envisaged for its future inpatient provision. The Trust intended that mental health outpatient services would continue to be provided from Barnes Hospital, and from Richmond Royal Hospital, as part of the local network of services.
In 2019 services were transferred to the Hospital from the Royal Richmond Hospital, as that site is also being redeveloped, with the Barnes Hospital site providing community mental Health services.
As part of the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust's "Better Environments Programme" aiming to revamp mental health services provision within the trust a brand-new outpatient facility is planned at Barnes Hospital - estimated completion date spring 2025. In order to facilitate and finance these plans the decision was taken to divide the current site into 3 with the western part given over to a new housing development, while the eastern half would contain a modern mental health care facility at the north and a Special Education Needs School for 50-90 pupils at the south. Planning consent for the school and healthcare facility was secured, subject to conditions, by the Richmond Council's planning committee on 10th May 2023 with final planning consent granted in Autumn 2023. Early works were set to begin from late winter 2024 ready for construction to start from summer onwards. The first of these works, approved tree felling, commenced on Tuesday 5 March 2024, with demolition works are schedule to start in May. The aim is to complete works on the healthcare facility and the school by spring 2025 and summer 2025 respectively.
The entire eastern half of the site is set to be demolished.
The explore
This was a site i discovered by accident in 2021 when i was just starting exploring and so naturally i was keen to give it a go. Access was at least by my standards tricky (certainly not just a walk-in explore) with a need for some upper body strength but in 2021 there was absolutely minimal security, although only the southernmost building at the rear of the site was accessible. When i revisited the site in April 2023 security had been beefed up, with a security door installed to allow security to access the building, as previously once you were inside you were safe, as security couldn't get in. It was during this visit with a friend we very almost had a run in with security, in so far as we heard the key turning in the security door to the building, just as we were stood in the reception area inside just infront of it, so we had to leg it and haul ourselves out of there as quickly as possible. To this day im still unsure with we had set off some sort of alarm or triggered a sensor or whether it was just a routine patrol of the site. Either way we got away unscaved.
The Photos
These are admittedly not the best as i was rather inexperienced back then and using a phone but better than nowt!
Thanks for Reading
This was a site i discovered by accident in 2021 when i was just starting exploring and so naturally i was keen to give it a go. Access was at least by my standards tricky (certainly not just a walk-in explore) with a need for some upper body strength but in 2021 there was absolutely minimal security, although only the southernmost building at the rear of the site was accessible. When i revisited the site in April 2023 security had been beefed up, with a security door installed to allow security to access the building, as previously once you were inside you were safe, as security couldn't get in. It was during this visit with a friend we very almost had a run in with security, in so far as we heard the key turning in the security door to the building, just as we were stood in the reception area inside just infront of it, so we had to leg it and haul ourselves out of there as quickly as possible. To this day im still unsure with we had set off some sort of alarm or triggered a sensor or whether it was just a routine patrol of the site. Either way we got away unscaved.
The Photos
These are admittedly not the best as i was rather inexperienced back then and using a phone but better than nowt!
Thanks for Reading
