Records of Highbury Hospital, Nottingham, 1871-1969

The records consist primarily of registers of the admission and discharge of patients (1895-1950). There are also registers of persons of unsound mind detained in the institution (1914-1947) and registers of sick, maternity and mental patients (1911-1950). Registers of births (1871-1947) and of deaths (1871-1948) are also present, as is a delivery ward register (1916-1942). In addition to these patient registers, the records include minutes of the Group House Committee (1957-1969) and half-yearly reports of the Medical Officer (1932-1948).

Records dealing with the Basford Union as an administrative unit were transferred to Nottinghamshire Archives Office. (These include some records of a medical nature, notably vaccination registers.) The records held at the University relate only to the admissions, discharges and treatment of patients while in Highbury Hospital.

Highbury Hospital had its origins in the provisions of the 1837 Poor Law Act and was, for its first eighty years, the infirmary of the Basford Union Workhouse. These origins led it to specialise in particular types of disability and for a considerable time it functioned both as a hospital for mental and geriatric patients and as a general hospital staffed by specialists from Nottingham General Hospital providing surgery and midwifery services. In 1970, the hospital had 312 beds: 188 for acute medical, surgical, maternity and gynaecological patients and 124 beds for mentally handicapped patients. Highbury Hospital continues to provide health care services on the site of Highbury Road, Bulwell, Nottingham.

The records are arranged by form: minutes, patient registers, reports.

Parts of the collection are accessible to all registered readers but all unpublished records are closed to general access for a minimum of thirty years. All patient and clinical records are closed to general access for a period of 100 years from date of creation. Please contact the department for further advice.

Copyright in all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.

In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus:

Typescript Catalogue, 14 pp

At the National Register of Archives, London:

Typescript Catalogue, 7 pp [Please note that the catalogue at King's Meadow Campus, and the online version on the Manuscripts Online Catalogue, is more up to date]

On the World Wide Web:

Catalogue available through the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Manuscripts Online Catalogue.

Photocopies and photographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The records were transferred to the University from the Nottinghamshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) South Nottingham District in April 1976 and April 1979.

Other Nottingham hospital collections held at The University of Nottingham; Manuscripts and Special Collections: Uh, Nh, Uhc, Uhe, Uhf, Uhg, Uhne, Uhw, Uht.

Clinical and patient records are held at Nottinghamshire Archives Office.