Metropolitan Asylums Board

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Metropolitan Asylums Board: a short, easy-to-understand history

What it was
- The Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) was a London body created to care for the sick and the poor under the Poor Law.
- It was set up by the Metropolitan Poor Act of 1867 and lasted until 1930, when its duties were taken over by the London County Council (LCC).

Why it was created
- There were campaigns to improve medical care for poor people who were sick.
- There was a concern that people with infectious diseases or mental illness were being kept in workhouses, so separate, better hospitals were needed.

Early setup and purpose
- The 1867 act joined London parishes into the Metropolitan Asylums District, run by the MAB, to receive and help the sick.
- The MAB began building new hospitals in Leavesden (Hertfordshire) and Caterham (Surrey), and fever hospitals at Haverstock Hill (Hampstead), Homerton (East London), Stockwell (South London), and elsewhere.

What happened next
- Over time, the MAB took on more duties, including care for diseases such as cholera, measles, diphtheria, and other illnesses affecting children and the Poor Law population.
- It established around forty institutions, including a hospital for venereal diseases, five children’s hospitals, ambulance services, and research laboratories.

Scale in the 20th century
- By 1900, the MAB was responsible for thousands of beds in fever and smallpox hospitals across London and the surrounding countryside.

Dissolution and transfer in 1930
- On 1 April 1930, 33 general and special hospitals were transferred from the MAB to the London County Council.
- At the time of transfer, there were 38 hospitals and colonies with a total of 22,572 beds.
- The largest groups of beds were for mental disorders (about 9,387) and for fever patients (about 8,421).

Key takeaway
- The MAB played a major role in changing how London cared for the sick and the poor by creating dedicated, specialized hospitals and services, before its responsibilities were absorbed by London’s new local government body in 1930.