Eversfield Hospital

[Patricia]

Has anyone got any information on the history of the Eversfield Hospital please?

[Geoff]

Writing a bit about this one has been on my to-do list for years. I have covered the other three big convalescent homes in West Hill Road but still haven't got round to properly researching the Eversfield Chest Hospital, despite having lived right opposite it for over four years before moving here.

If we get some good info posted here it will give me a nudge (and a starting point) to get it done and added to the history section... West St Leonards History

[Patricia]

I shall do some research on it.

[Richard]

Geoff's link points to a place where is there is no reference to the EH but it is referenced elsewhere in his website, where the EH's opening date of 1881 is given in error and it should be 1891.

In 1891 the Eversfield Hospital and Home for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest and Throat was opened on land at West Hill Road given by the Eversfield Estate with Doctor Gambier in charge.
This was a private hospital attracting wealthy patients and was absorbed into the NHS in 1948.
Dr Gambier (originally of Huguenot extraction) founded the EH after first opening the Hastings and St Leonards Throat and Ear Dispensary in Trinity Street in 1882. In 1884 it moved to Friedenfels Home, in Upper Maze Hill, and was opened for in-patients including those suffering from chest diseases.
Finally Dr Gambier founded and moved his expertise over to the EH, which was a fully-operational hospital with a complement of trained medical staff and nothing like its earlier incarnations, as described.

Dr Gambier (from Hastings Museum and Art Gallery)

[Patricia]

Very interesting Richard thanks. Again I shall try Hastings library for any books written about its history until closure.

[Richard]

I think the hospital was on a cliff facing the sea, with a road at the rear.
TB Patients were put into huts (at the sea-facing side) which could rotate to face the sun or turn away from the wind.
TB huts image posted by robmcrorle on Flickr and the road view from a postcard on eBay:

[Geoff]

Indeed, the building was (and still is) on a cliff facing the sea in West Hill Road. It was bought for redevelopment some years ago but nothing has happened since. Here's a previous thread we had going about it when it was up for sale a few years ago... viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1765

[Geoff]

The revolving shelters are an interesting feature, just remembered I had a different pic of them in my collection so i've added it to the gallery...