31.05.18
Famous St Bart’s ‘Sherlock’ hospital block to be privatised
One of the buildings at Britain’s oldest hospital, which has become a tourist attraction famed for one Sherlock Holmes’ most famous television scenes, is set to undergo privatisation.
The Old Pathology Building at St Bartholomew’s Hospital will be made into a private health care unit, after Nuffield Health sought to refurbish the building and residential staff quarters to create a private healthcare facility.
The trust will extend the block and its rooftop to renovate the facility that it is leading from Bart’s Health NHS Trust.
Planning permission was first granted for the facility to lease out the building in 2012. On Tuesday, the City of London Corporation’s planning and transportation committee approved the application 22 votes to one.
There were several objections to the plans, including opposition to the use of a storied NHS building for private healthcare services, concerns about the effect of the growth in footfall on surrounding listed buildings, and questions about the effect of the new facility on the neighbouring Great Hall.
The building has become an attraction for Sherlock Holmes superfans after Benedict Cumberbatch’s theatrical fall scene from its rooftop in the BBC series.
Enjoying NHE? Subscribe here to receive our weekly news updates or click here to receive a copy of the magazine!