North Middlesex Hospital

The North Middlesex Hospital, known locally as the North Mid, is a District General Hospital (DGH) in Edmonton, in the London Borough of Enfield, within the area served by the Enfield Primary Care NHS Trust.

History
As with many hospitals in the United Kingdom, the North Mid began life as a workhouse in 1840. The workhouse, built on land previously known as Langhedge Field, received its first inmates, totalling 400 men and women, in 1842. Children in the area were sent to the Chase Farm Schools Institution, later to become Chase Farm Hospital.

More land was added to the site as demand for pauper accommodation rose, and the need became clear for a separate building to treat the sick. In 1907, an Infirmary Building Committee was established with a view to constructing a large hospital. The hospital officially opened on 25th July 1910, and was separated from the workhouse itself by an iron fence, although the two shared a common gate, which still stands today.

In 1915 the complex was handed over to the military for use as a military hospital, known as Edmonton Military Hospital. Following its transfer back into civilian hands in 1920, the hospital took on its current name, the North Middlesex Hospital.

Control changed hands from the Edmonton Board of Guardians to Middlesex County Council in April 1930. In 1938, the workhouse closed (with inmates being transferred to Chase Farm) and its buildings were made available to the hospital.

During the second world war, six high explosive bombs fell on the site, damaging several buildings. The accident and emergency department opened in 1955, having been built on the bombed section of the site. The outpatents department was added in 1960,and officially opened by Princess Margaret.

Part of the hospital site was cleared to make way for the expansion of the North Circular Road in 1973, with the Watermill Lane site being added to the hospital grounds to compensate. Construction of the buildings there was completed the following year. Additions in the 1980s include the pathology laboratories in 1982, a new car park, boilderhouse and estates offices in 1987, and the Pymmes Building (housing four elderly care wards) in 1988.

Temporary operating theatres (theatres 3 and 4) were constructed in 1991 and 1992. In 1997 and again in 1999, parts of the hospital site were sold off for development, to raise funds for the refurbishment of the remaining facilities. As a result, the accident and emergency department was refitted in 1999. In 2000, an NHS Walk in centre was added. The Care of the Elderly department transferred their 'Day Hospital' from St Ann's hospital to the 'Pymmes' building in 2007 to allow greater continuity of care.

The hospital had the dubious record of topping the MRSA septicaemia league table in the early years of this decade although things have improved significantly. More recently C difficile has become a greater problem, especially amongst older patients were the diarrhoea is persisting despite standard therapy with metronidazole and vancomycin. Recent research by Dr Nikhil Kamath at NMH had led to advances in the field of sexually transmitted diseases.

The Great Ormond Street Hospital runs the children's services at this site, which comprises an inpatient ward, a special care baby unit, day assessment, outpatient services and a children's Accident and Emergency.