Coventry & Warwickshire Hospital Saturday Fund

My father was in Leigh House for a time after a mental breakdown. After he was discharged he spent a few weeks at a sanatorium in Dawlish courtesy of the Hospital Saturday Fund.

This is the convalescent home in Dawlish used by the Hospital Saturday Fund.

Hi everyone, I am sure they have one in Golders Green too, as my mum in law went there when she worked at the Co-op in Corporation Street.

Thanks for that David, my own father had cause to be sent there a couple of times. I used to wonder what it looked like

I do believe you are right Tony. My inlaws worked at the Co-op and it was arranged through that when my mum in law went to recuperate after her op. I can remember vaguely it being a large country house and when we walked in the gardens there were loads of squirrels out there. The Hospital Saturday Fund would have been a sort of insurance that you paid into I presume, they must have thought it worth while as my father in law used the service too at a later date. Would you know why it was called 'Saturday'?

Hello Dreamtime, the fund was founded in 1873. Payday then was on a Saturday so they called it the Hospital Saturday Fund. Forgot to mention, you paid a small nominal amount out of your wages each week. I was in it myself but never used it. Edited by member, 30th Aug 2014 3:36 pm

Thank you Mattash, I don't know why, but I never thought about it at the time, probably thought we would never need it. I suppose the alternative would be to get well and press on regardless.

Hi Dreamtime, the HSF by-passed the NHS. You could see a specialised in a very short time in London. They arranged transport. If you needed hospital treatment you were in almost straight way. Also convalecence, it covered the family as well. It is still going.

Sounds like the same here but we call it a private health fund, mine is HBF, Hospital Benefit Fund, same thing, we pay into it each month, and you do get attention sooner. Perfect as long as you can afford it. All that aside, my two kids (all grown up now of course) always decided to break their bones during the school holidays, never failed!

Can anybody help. A man by the name of Ernest Clifford Adey wrote a booklet I think was named From Little Acorns Grow. Telling the history of Cov & Warwickshire Saturday Hospital Fund

It's for sale on Amazon here

... although the copy on Amazon is written by Mike Wendland - and bears no insight as to it's content (?) PS. Wasn't it known as the "Hospital Saturday Fund"?

Does anyone know why it was called "Saturday" Edited by member, 18th Feb 2015 8:16 am

Hi NormK, Yes. In the days when it was a cash benefit, the payment was made to the patients on a Saturday. This was at a time when social service benefits were non existent or very thin at best, so for someone incapacitated, it was a time of real hardship. As works sick pay along with state provided sick pay, became available, so the Hospital Saturday Fund need changed into a part payment benefit for dental treatment, or spectacle costs. It did forge links with other charities such as the Nuffield Trust & Manor charities, who even had their own sponsored hospitals such as the Whittington*** in London. About thirty years ago when industrial companies were providing perks such as private health care, the Coventry Hospital Saturday fund joined BUPA, I believe, but I need clarification on that. Can anyone help? *** The Whittington started as a ladies charitable hospital, along with a merger with a former asylum.

On the right lines, Philip It became Mercia Health Benefits, which was acquired by Bupa and became Bupa Cash Plan - see this blog It still operates out of Dale Buildings, Cook Street And we're still in it!