A former Northwood hospital is being brought back into regular use thanks to a social media campaign.
Northwood and Pinner Cottage Hospital, located on Pinner Road, was first built in 1924 to commemorate those who had died during the First World War. It was used as a healthcare centre until 2008, when it was decided maintenance costs were too high.
Since then, the building has continued to be used as a storage centre and a depot for ambulances, but has fallen into disrepair.
However, Heili Helder, a former nurse at the hospital, launched an online campaign to bring the hospital, which is also designated as a war memorial, back into regular use. Heili moved to the UK from the Netherlands at the age of 18, and worked at the hospital as an auxiliary nurse in 1973.
Heili has since returned to her home country, but her fond memories of her time at the Northwood & District Hospital (as it was then known) led her to launch a campaign to keep the building from being demolished.
NHS Property Services are now collaborating with architects Alliance & Morrison to update the hospital into a healthcare hub fit for the 21st century.
New homes will also be built on surplus land on the same site.
It is estimated that the cottage hospital will be ready for occupancy later this year, at which point the staff at the existing Northwood Health Centre in Neal Close will move to the new site.
Plans have also been approved to demolish the Neal Close facilities and replace them with two blocks of flats.
An NHS Property Services spokesperson said: “Northwood and Pinner is a key hub that is used by thousands across the locality. We are committed to breathing new life into the building, and achieving full planning permission means we are able to move forward with the project.”
To view the page set up by Heili, search ‘Save Northwood and Pinner Cottage Hospital’ on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Save Northwood & Pinner Cottage Hospital
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