| Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) | |
| Registered Charity Number: 205907 | |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | Putney, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Charitable |
| Hospital type | Specialist |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | No Accident & Emergency |
| Beds | 260 |
| Speciality | Neuro-disability |
| History | |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.rhn.org.uk/ |
| Lists | Hospitals in England |
The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, in Putney in South West London, is an independent medical charity which undertakes research and provides specialist services to meet the needs of people with complex neurological disabilities resulting from damage to the brain or other parts of the nervous system.[1] This damage is often caused by traffic accidents and illnesses. The RHN provides long-term residential care to many of its patients.
The RHN is one of the 200 largest UK charitable organizations ranked by annual expenditure.[2]
The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) was established in July 1854 at a meeting held at the Mansion House, chaired by the Lord Mayor of London. The founder, Andrew Reed, had a record as a practical philanthropist, and responded to a plea from the author Charles Dickens to:
- "give permanent relief to such persons as are hopelessly disqualified for the duties of life", but "not to interfere with the endeavours of existing charities, but to take action precisely where their action ceased."
The RHN was originally called the Hospital for Incurables and was based in a converted workhouse in Carshalton, Surrey. In 1857, a more spacious house was leased in Putney, and finally in 1865, patients were moved to the hospital's present site on West Hill, Putney. In 1919, the organisation received its Royal Charter, becoming the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables.
The building on West Hill in Putney had originally been a hunting lodge (Melrose Lodge) and was purchased with 24 acres (97,000 m2) of land, on which, until the 1960s, the hospital operated a working farm. Much of the land has now been developed, but the RHN retains spacious landscaped gardens for the use of patients, residents, relatives and employees. These grounds are also used to hold concerts, fundraising events and host a local primary school's annual sports day.
In 1988 the name changed to the Royal Hospital and Home, Putney. Because this name did not make it obvious what work was carried out, in 1995 the name was changed to the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability.
On 11 November 2010, RHN won two Awards for Innovation at the UKABIF (United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum) annual conference. The RHN Technology Link Service won for ‘Innovation by a care provider in the field of ABI (Acquired Brain Injury)’ and Sarah Haynes of the RHN Tracheostomy Clinic won for ‘Innovation by a clinician in the field of ABI’.[3] On 22 November 2010, RHN won the gold medal award in the hospital category of the London Garden Society Awards.[4]