Mildmay Mission Hospital has a long and distinguished history of providing excellent nursing care to the most vulnerable.
Originally founded in the 1860s, during an epidemic of cholera and typhus, by Reverend William Pennefather and his wife Catherine, the hospital began as a mission to serve the poor and sick of the East End's worst slums near the Old Nichol, one of the most notorious areas of nineteenth-century London. In the following decades, Mildmay Mission Hospital earned a reputation for its compassionate and innovative care, and in the late 20th century, became famous for its pioneering work with HIV/AIDS patients.
Nursing is at the Heart of Mildmay's Mission
Nurses have always played a central role in Mildmay's mission. In the early days, the hospital's nursing staff comprised a dedicated group of Christian women recruited by Catherine and known as 'Deaconesses'. These women provided medical care and emotional and spiritual support to people who otherwise had little or no recourse.
Florence Nightingale had great respect for the Deaconesses. She admired their dedication to practical training and their focus on holistic care, both values she championed in her reforms. She lauded "every attempt to train in practical activity all female missionaries," indicating her support for the Deaconesses' pioneering role in nursing education.
Nightingale's emphasis on sanitation, hygiene, and proper patient care would have resonated with nursing practices at Mildmay, known for their cleanliness and focus on comfort. Her advocacy for holistic care, including emotional and spiritual well-being, aligned with the Deaconesses' approach, which went beyond solely medical treatment, although she may have disagreed with some aspects, such as their religious focus, which differed from her secular approach to nursing.
