{"id":3300,"date":"2023-11-29T17:31:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T17:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/?p=3300"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:54:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T10:54:33","slug":"the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution-3300","title":{"rendered":"The Story of Leith Hospital: Edinburgh&#8217;s Most Sought-After Medical Institution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Leith Hospital holds a significant place in Edinburgh&#8217;s medical history. It was a general hospital with both medical and surgical wards, treating adults and children alike. The facility also provided <strong>emergency care and a wide range of outpatient services<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\">Edinburgh1.one<\/a> tells more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a697780c9abc\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a697780c9abc\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution-3300\/#Early_History\" >Early History<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution-3300\/#A_Breakthrough_in_Medical_Services\" >A Breakthrough in Medical Services<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution-3300\/#Expansion\" >Expansion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution-3300\/#An_Educational_Experience\" >An Educational Experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution-3300\/#Key_Events\" >Key Events<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-leith-hospital-edinburghs-most-sought-after-medical-institution-3300\/#The_End_of_an_Era\" >The End of an Era<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Early_History\"><\/span>Early History<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The hospital&#8217;s story began in 1851. A significant portion of the funds needed to maintain the hospital was raised by <strong>the local Leith community<\/strong>. The newly established institution functioned as both a dispensary and an accident hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James Scarth Combe holds the distinction of being the hospital&#8217;s first consultant physician. He was most renowned for his 1822 description of pernicious anaemia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Breakthrough_in_Medical_Services\"><\/span>A Breakthrough in Medical Services<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1866, the hospital made a genuine breakthrough in healthcare services with the appointment of <strong>the first district nurse, a Mrs Brown<\/strong>. She was tasked with diligently carrying out doctors&#8217; instructions and teaching patients&#8217; families how to provide proper care. The hospital&#8217;s management covered the costs of Mrs Brown&#8217;s training, which required her to study the nuances of the nursing profession and complete special courses at King&#8217;s College London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The district nurse service proved to be immensely popular. By 1877 alone, Mrs Brown had made thirteen thousand home visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expansion\"><\/span>Expansion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that the hospital&#8217;s success and the large number of patients created a need for expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1875, an extension was built to meet the high demand for the hospital&#8217;s services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another extension followed in 1888, and in 1903, the hospital added a dedicated surgical block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_Educational_Experience\"><\/span>An Educational Experience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When discussing the hospital&#8217;s history, it is important to mention a brief but significant period from its past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When <strong>Sophia Jex-Blake established the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women<\/strong>, the hospital&#8217;s management permitted her students to attend the facility for comprehensive clinical training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, this arrangement worked well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, an incident in 1888 marred this progress and ultimately contributed to the closure of Jex-Blake&#8217;s medical school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sophia Jex-Blake had a rule that students must leave the hospital premises by 5:00 PM. Four students chose to violate this rule, staying after the designated time. After being expelled by Jex-Blake, two of them sued her for wrongful dismissal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>News of the lawsuit quickly spread. At a time when medical education for women was not widely accepted by society, <strong>Jex-Blake came under immense pressure<\/strong>. This challenging situation ultimately led to the closure of the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women in 1898.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Events\"><\/span>Key Events<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning to the hospital&#8217;s history, by the early 20th century, it was a busy, modern institution that met a wide variety of the community&#8217;s medical needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The year 1906 was notable for the addition of highly qualified doctors from the University of Edinburgh to the staff, including <strong>Jessie Gellatly and Agnes Marshall Cowan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the First World War began, the Leith community was noticeably depleted, as many young men went to the front. Sadly, a great number of them never returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As communities began fundraising for war memorials, the people of Leith decided on a unique tribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They chose to commemorate their fallen by establishing a children&#8217;s wing at Leith Hospital. A fundraising campaign for this idea was launched in 1919, and the initiative received support from numerous philanthropists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, the new building, designed by George Simpson, was opened in 1927.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_End_of_an_Era\"><\/span>The End of an Era<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2023\/11\/ohz_unruel3fbr0grb5btfln3za1zkwjrbfva1liyelogsywpaxfyfpfzil7fmya4f3vehvmfqemid_aqxtgwxuvpdq-frybhcs4g85_5luqa5zxesbnot8kdlcmqyzw0kb_1tfvaxfb_i1qmy7dcf0.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sadly, despite its long history and vital role in the development of healthcare in Edinburgh, Leith Hospital could not escape closure. <strong>The institution ceased operations in 1987<\/strong>, and its buildings were converted into residential properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth noting that the local community organised <strong>active protests and pickets<\/strong> in support of the famous hospital, but their efforts were in vain. The main building was sold, and many years later, construction began on a community health centre on the site. But that is another story entirely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leith Hospital holds a significant place in Edinburgh&#8217;s medical history. It was a general hospital with both medical and surgical wards, treating adults and children alike. The facility also provided emergency care and a wide range of outpatient services. Edinburgh1.one tells more. Early History The hospital&#8217;s story began in 1851. A significant portion of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":3302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1168],"tags":[2316,1830,2315,2310,2314,2312,2317,2320,2311,2319,2318,2302,2121,2313,2122],"moimportance":[78,81],"motype":[1158],"moformat":[83],"class_list":{"0":"post-3300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-district-nursing-history","9":"tag-edinburgh-history","10":"tag-healthcare-in-edinburgh","11":"tag-hospital-closure-1987","12":"tag-james-scarth-combe","13":"tag-leith-community","14":"tag-leith-hospital","15":"tag-leith-local-history","16":"tag-leith-war-memorial","17":"tag-lost-edinburgh","18":"tag-nhs-history-scotland","19":"tag-scottish-medical-history","20":"tag-sophia-jex-blake","21":"tag-victorian-hospitals","22":"tag-women-in-medicine","23":"moimportance-golovna-novina","24":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","25":"motype-eternal","26":"moformat-vlasna"},"modified_by":"Yevheniia Shevchenko","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3300"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3303,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3300\/revisions\/3303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3300"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=3300"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=3300"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=3300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}