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Description

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About us
Moorfields was founded in 1804 and opened in 1805 We are the oldest and one of the largest centres for ophthalmic treatment teaching and research in the world

More patients in the UK come to Moorfields than to any other eye hospital or clinic because of our worldfamous reputation This is based on the expertise of our clinical staff and the cuttingedge research taking place on site

In fact over half the ophthalmologists practising in the UK and many more overseas have received specialist training at Moorfields

In 2004 we were one of the first organisations to become an NHS foundation trust More recently UCL Partners of which we are an integral part was accredited by the Department of Health as one of the UKs first academic and health science centres

Who we are
Staff at Moorfields outreach centre at Bedford

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs over 1300 people who work on 12 sites in and around London

Our staff include opthalmologists ophthalmic nurses optometrists orthoptists medical photographers ophthalmic technicians and a host of other specialists

We also employ clerical managerial and other professional staff scientists and researchers teachers and lecturers catering and portering staff all of who are equally important in ensuring that we maintain high standards of care and treatment

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History

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Our history
The London dispensary for curing diseases of the eye and ear was opened in 1805 by John Cunningham Saunders 17731810

The impetus for the formation of the worlds first specialist eye hospital seems to have been an epidemic of trachoma This is a form of potentially blinding tropical conjunctivitis which was brought back to England by British troops returning from the Napoleonic wars in Egypt

The number of patients seeking treatment steadily increased forcing a move to a larger site in 1822 and finally to its present main site on City Road central London in 1899 At this time the first specialist departments were set up x ray and ultra violet treatment rooms At this time the hospital was still operating as a charity and each patient received an admission card that read

This letter is granted to the applicant in being poor Its acceptance therefore by anyone not really poor constitutes an abuse of charity

Moorfields City Road site In 1935 after a public appeal for pound120000 the George V extension was opened This provided a new outpatient department a new ward and an orthoptic department

During the Second World War the hospital opened its doors to general surgical cases and most of the ophthalmic patients were evacuated out of London Moorfields received a direct hit from a doodlebug in 1944 and suffered serious damage This was so extensive that the hospital was nearly pulled down and rebuilt on a green field location However the site was rebuilt and in 1946 the City Road Hospital amalgamated with the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital the Central Eye Hospital and took on the clinical facilities for the medical school for the University of London

With the formation of the NHS in 1948 Moorfields lost its status as a voluntary hospital and in 1956 was officially named as Moorfields Eye Hospital In 1950 the Sixteenth International Congress of Ophthalmology was held at Moorfields and for the first time ever TV cameras were installed in the theatres to demonstrate surgical techniques

Moorfields redeveloped the site in the late 1980s allowing for the expansion of more specialist areas The Trust now runs outreach community eye clinics at twelve other sites where it provides a range of ophthalmic services

If anyone is interested to learn more about the history the third volume of the History of Moorfields Eye Hopsital by Peter Leaver is available from the Moorfields Alumni Association