| AdminHistory | The Birmingham Lying In Hospital and Dispensary for the diseases of Women and Children for Birmingham and the Midland Counties was founded in 1842. The aim of the charity was to 'supply proper medical and obstetric attendance to poor married women' and 'relief in the diseases incident to women and children'. The hospital was established first at 21 Whittall Street and later moved to premises in Broad Street.
In November 1867, resolutions were passed abolishing the In-Patient department and restricting the operations of the charity to midwifery cases alone; the name changed to the Birmingham Lying-In Charity and the Broad Street tenancy was taken over by the Free Hospital for Sick Children (for records of the Children's Hospital see HC BCH). As a result of the closure of the In-Patient department a movement to found a separate hospital for sick women was started. The Birmingham and Midland Hospital for Women opened in 1871 (for records of the hospital see HC WH).
From 1868 to 1907 the work of the charity was carried out by midwives at the homes of patients, administered from one room at No. 7 Newhall Street.
After the passing of the Midwives Act in 1902 by which it was required that all midwives should be qualified by proper training and examination, it became necessary that means be found in Birmingham to comply. The new Maternity Hospital enabled this, together with accommodation for obstetric In-Patient treatment and care. The Loveday Street site was opened on November 20th 1907 and the hospital continued there until its closure in 1968, prior to the opening of the new Birmingham Maternity Hospital on the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre Site.
The hospital was overseen by a Board of Governors and managed by monthly committee. The Board of Management superintended the House Committee until 1911, when managerial and financial responsibility for the charity passed to the administrators of the Birmingham and Midlands Hospital for Women. The House Committee and Medical Committee of Loveday Street retained their autonomy. In 1948 the Loveday Street Maternity Hospital became one of the constituent hospitals of the United Birmingham Hospitals after the passing of the National Health Service Act. |