The EGA Hospital Charity : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The EGA Hospital Charity was set up in 1980 to save the hospital from closure. With advances in medicine small independent hospitals could no longer exist to provide all modern amenities and modalities of treatment. The hospital was then merged with University College Hospital and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing of the hospital provides the services for women. The role of the charity therefore has changed but remains true to the original Deed of Trust which was “the relief of sickness among women and the protection and preservations of the health of women particularly but not exclusively at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital”

1836 Elizabeth was born in Whitechapel where her father, Newson Garrett, was a pawnbroker.
1840 Her parents returned to the family’s home town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk where her father founded a flourishing business.
1863 On a visit to her sister in London she met Elizabeth Blackwell, who was a practising doctor in America and from that day she had only one aim in life to become a doctor.
1865 Between 1863 and 1865 she tried both at the Middlesex Hospital, London and in Scotland to gain her degree without success – a number of doctors, however, in both countries, recognised her dedication and ability and would have been willing for her to join the medical schools.

Finding a loophole in the Charter of the Society of Apothecaries, she set out to gain the LSA and having passed the exams, immediately started to practice quietly from her home in Upper Berkeley Street, London. (In those days Apothecaries were allowed to practice medicine).
1866 She opened the St Mary’s Dispensary for Women in Marylebone, London, giving the opportunity for the first time, for women to be treated by women, especially the very poor women from the nearby slums that existed around Lisson Grove; at the same time, women were given the chance to work in a hospital.
1870 She was appointed visiting doctor to the East London Hospital.
Still unable to gain her MD in this country she went to the University of Paris (which accepted women) and finally achieved her degree in June 1870.
Elizabeth married James George Skelton Anderson (in 1878 his company Anderson & Co-founded the Orient Line, which later became P&O Lines).
1872 The hospital was renamed the New Hospital for Women when it moved to larger premises on the Marylebone Road. It was formerly opened in 1873 by the Princess of Wales, later to become Queen Alexandra.
1873-1877 Elizabeth had three children; Louisa in 1873 (who followed her mother into medicine), Margaret Skelton in 1874 and Alan Garrett in 1877.
During this period Elizabeth was Senior Physician at her own hospital for twenty four years, Dean of the London School of Medicine for twenty years, as well as a lecturer and a member of the first London School Board.
1892 Her greatest achievement, however, was in 1892 with the admission of women to the British Medical Association.
1908 Elizabeth became the first woman mayor in this country for her home town of Aldeburgh and at the age of seventy four years was elected for a second term of office.
1917 On the 17th December of this year, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson died at Aldeburgh, aged eighty one.

The same year, the hospital in Euston Road, London, was renamed The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital.

We can do more for women and babies, from providing equipment which is not funded by the NHS to supporting research to improve the care of mothers and their babies. Your donation, small or large, makes a difference and is gratefully received.

Your donations together with income from our investments support hospital clinical staff, teachers and researchers to do even more for patients. The Charity Trustees always take advice from clinical experts to ensure that the best use is made of the money that is donated.

Future advances in women’s health will depend upon the next generation of “workers in the field” and the charity, therefore, considers funding innovative teaching and training projects, particularly to broaden horizons of trainees.

An award was made to support a research project investigating the mechanism and treatment of a placental condition called chronic histocytic intervillositis (CHI). Dr Emily Cornish January 2019.
Funding was awarded to support a research project into “Discovering Paternal determinants of fetal growth: Investigating the influence of paternal metabolic health and epigenetics on fetal growth. Dr David Williams August 2018.
Purchase of two pieces of equipment for the neonatal unit to support post-processing of fetal MRI. Dr Latha Srinivasan September 2018.
Purchase of equipment to support fetal surgery for spina bifida in the Fetal Medicine Unit. February 2018
Funding for pilot research project study to evaluate HPV vaccine in prevention of vulval cancer February 2018
Funding to study the genetics of two genes that are thought to play a critical role in placental development and fetal growth. February 2018
It was agreed to fund a project to develop a less invasive tool to sample the vaginal microbiome (no vaginal swabs or speculums) using enhanced urinary culture techniques to ensure a more targeted treatment approach for the prevention of preterm birth. February 2018.
Funding for an international lecturer for the Institute for Women’s Health Annual Conference April 2018.

Further funding of 13 special reclining breastfeeding chairs for the Neonatal Unit. Each cot now has its own breastfeeding chair. 2017
Funding to improve the facilities The Early Pregnancy Unit:

We have paid for the installation of a new wall mural and two matching recliner chairs. The improvements go a long way in providing women with an area of comfort which helps the team provide care and support in a more suitable environment.
Funding for research project in to an Interactive Online Learning Tool - Decision Aid. Dan Reisel.
Purchase of 3 grant instrument data loggers to further research into birth asphyxia. Nikki Robertson 2017
Anne Boutwood Annual Travelling Fellowship fund 2016
Research project into fatty liver in pregnancy David Williams 2016
Development of maternal and fetal adverse event criteria for clinical trials in pregnant women Anna David 2016
Purchase of optical spectrometer and RNA biomarker Nikki Robertson 2016
Further funding for research project into the immunology of pre-eclampsia. Professor David Williams 2016
Assistance for expert counselling of young women with a rare condition called Rokitansky Syndrome. Louise Williams Clinical Nurse Specialist Paediatric Unit 2016
Funding for preliminary work in the reconstruction for patients who have suffered FGM. Professor Sarah Creighton 2015
Anne Boutwood Annual Travelling Fellowship fund 2015
Support for project at UCLH on in utero transplantation & fetal gene therapy and fetal gene therapy. Dr Anna David 2015
Funding towards setting up of foetal surgery at UCLH. Professor Nikki Robertson 2015
Purchase of IVF 2D animation for the hospital website explaining some of the difficult concepts in IVF to our patients. 2015
Pre eclampsia study. Professor David Williams 2015
Purchase of fridge/freezer to store samples. Dr Anna David 2015
Funding to assist the study of outcomes of babies delivered before 27 weeks in relation to the organisation, policy and investigation employed. Professor Neil Marlowe 2015
To fund the setting up of a baby bio bank storage facility. 2015
2014 EEG machines to help reduce the risk of brain injury in new born babies.
2014 Reclining chairs for breastfeeding mothers
2014 Videoconferencing Equipment
2014 Anne Boutwood Annual Travelling Fellowship Fund
Support for psychosexual intervention by CNS for women following treatment for gynae cancer
2013 High flow humidifier/oxygen machines purchased for the Neonatal Unit
2013 Research project on Anal sphincter damage related to childbirth (MRI Scans funded)
2013 Research project by Professor David Williams - The association between pre-eclampsia with cardiac disease in later life
2013 Workbench for Seminar Room EGA
2012 Upgrading of the Seminar Room in the EGA Wing
2010 – 2012 It was decided to fund a very large project for IT equipment
2009 Hysteroscopes for the Outpatient Hysteroscopy Department
2009 Gynaecology Oncology Support Project by Dr Sue Gessler
2007 Research project on Endometrial Cancer by Tim Mould