National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery stands in Queen Square, a small garden square in the London Borough of Camden. Founded in 1859 as the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, it was England’s first hospital dedicated solely to nervous system diseases. The hospital rebuilt its East and West Wings in the 1880s, opened by Princess Helena and the Prince of Wales. It served as part of the First London General Hospital during the First World War. In 1926 it gained its present name under a Royal Charter and opened the Queen Mary Wing in 1938. During the Second World War the building suffered serious bomb damage. The hospital is closely linked with University College London and its Institute of Neurology on the same site. Together they form a leading centre for neuroscience research and clinical care. Nine operating theatres and two angiography theatres support complex neurological and neurosurgical work. The wards bear the names of pioneers such as John Young, David Ferrier, Victor Horsley and Bernard Sunley. Two intensive care units and two rehabilitation units provide specialist recovery services. The National Brain Appeal, chaired by Jackie Ashley, raises funds to support the hospital’s work. Visitors find a calm hospital environment set around the historic Queen Square gardens. The main outpatient department is named for Basil Samuels, while private patients are cared for on Nuffield ward. The building’s architecture reflects its Victorian origins alongside later additions. The hospital remains a place where advanced treatment meets compassionate care. Its long history and ongoing research make it an important site in British medicine.