The Italian hospital in London : 1884-1990

Abstract

The Italian Hospital in London was a voluntary hospital founded in 1884 to provide medical assistance, on a charitable basis, to the Italian community in the UK. Research conducted in local archives, contemporary newspapers and book literature, reveals the importance of the Hospital in the context of Anglo Italian relations, whose developments it closely mirrored. An interplay between social, political and medical factors shaped the Hospital's fortunes until its closure in 1990. These factors include: the presence of a large community of poor Italian immigrants in need of the Hospital's services, its role as a symbol of UK - Italy cooperation and later as a political tool used by the Italian fascist regime, and the impact of the foundation of the National Health Service. With post-war prosperity, integration of the Italian community within British society and availability of free healthcare, the raison d'etre for the Hospital ceased. Today, only the elegant building in Queen Square remains to testify to the past of this institution and its importance for Anglo-Italian relations.