The hospital was hit during a WWII bombing raid

Dr West also wrote a book called 'How to Nurse Sick Children' in 1854, five years before Florence Nightingale published her 'Notes on Nursing'.

The first purpose-built hospital building, designed by Edward Barry, was completed in 1875, and three years later, the Charles West School of Nursing was founded followed 20 years later by the Great Ormond Street Hospital Medical School.

In 1929 J M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, donated the rights of the play to the hospital, which has brought in huge amounts of money to Great Ormond Street ever since.

State-of-the-art

In the early 1930s, Great Ormond Street was presented with an iron lung.

This was a state-of-the-art respirator for children suffering from infant paralysis.

If parents wanted to bring their children to the outpatients department of Great Ormond Street in the 1930s, they were seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

The iron lung treatment was used in the 1930s

They had to queue outside before the Hall Porter opened the doors at 0830.

In1938, the Southwood Building opened, increasing the capacity of the hospital. Most wards were transferred to the new building

The hospital was damaged during a 1940 bombing raid but nobody was hurt.

Research centre

In 1946, the Institute of Child Health (ICH) was founded.

For over 50 years, the ICH has been an international centre for research into childhood diseases.

Care today is provided by a wide range of health professionals

In 1987, the hospital launched its Wishing Well Appeal, under the joint patronage of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The aim of the appeal was to raise money for a new hospital building to replace the out-dated Victorian building.

The fund resulted in the Variety Club Building, which opened seven years later.

Last year, Great Ormond Street saw the opening of its gene therapy laboratory, and clinical trials of gene therapy began at the hospital.