Westminster Children's Hospital

The Westminster Children's Hospital in Vincent Square holds a unique place in medical history, originally opening in 1907 as The Infants Hospital. It was purpose-built to research and treat nutritional disorders in children, standing as the only institution of its kind in Europe at the time. The building was financed by the industrialist Sir Robert Mond as a memorial to his late wife, Helen, who founded the original institution. You can still see a subtle tribute to its past above the main entrance, where ceramic tondi featuring a swaddled baby are mounted on the walls. These are based on the famous Renaissance-era sculptures of children that adorn the historic Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence. Continue