King’s College London Act 1997
1997 CHAPTER iii
An Act to unite the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals and King’s College London; to transfer all rights, properties and liabilities from the Schools to the College; and for connected and other purposes.
[31st July 1997]
WHEREAS—
King’s College London (hereinafter referred to as “the College”) was founded by Royal Charter granted on 14th August 1829 by His late Majesty King George the Fourth and, notwithstanding the annulment of that Charter by the [1882 c. xiii.] King’s College London Act 1882, remained incorporated by virtue of that Act and subsequently by virtue of the [1908 c. xxxix.] King’s College London (Transfer) Act 1908 and, since 1st April 1980, by virtue of the [1978 c. xii.] King’s College London Act 1978 and a Royal Charter granted by Her Majesty on 1st April 1980:
From its foundation the College included medical subjects in its curriculum and soon thereafter established a school of medicine and dentistry (hereinafter referred to as “the College’s School of Medicine and Dentistry”):
In 1839 the College acquired certain premises and there established King’s College Hospital as a teaching hospital:
Under the [1851 c. cxxxviii.] King’s College Hospital Act 1851 the College’s School of Medicine and Dentistry was established as a separate body corporate and King’s College Hospital was transferred thereto:
Under the said Act of 1908 further functions and property of the College were transferred to the College’s School of Medicine and Dentistry which, under that Act, became a school of medicine and dentistry of the University of London (hereinafter referred to as “the University”) and was thereafter administered as one entity with King’s Col lege Hospital:
Under a scheme made pursuant to section 15 of the [1946 c. 81.] National Health Service Act 1946 the College’s School of Medicine and Dentistry was constituted as a body corporate under the name of “King’s College Hospital Medical School (University of London)” and, in accordance with that scheme, was thereafter separately administered from King’s Col lege Hospital as an independent school of the University:
By virtue of the [1983 c. xii.] King’s College London Act 1983 King’s College Hospital Medical School (University of London) was reunited with the College and in accordance with that Act the College now maintains a school of medicine and dentistry known as King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry:
Under the said Act of 1983 there was constituted a Committee of the Council of the College known as the Delegacy of King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry to advise that Council on, and to superintend, the work carried on by King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry:
Guy’s Hospital was established in 1724 and Guy’s Hospital Medical School was founded in 1769. Lectures in dental surgery commenced there in 1799 and a dental school was established as part of Guy’s Hospital Medical School in 1889. Guy’s Hospital Medical School was admitted as a School of the University in 1900 and remained a constituent p art of Guy’s Hospital until 5th July 1948 when, pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15, the School was reconstituted:
St. Thomas’s Hospital was established in 1173 and St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School was founded in about 1550. St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School was admitted as a School of the University in 1900 and remained a constituent part of St. Thomas’s Hospital until 5th July 1948 when, pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15, the School was reconstituted:
On 1st August 1982 Guy’s Hospital Medical School was reconstituted pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15 as the United Medical Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals (hereinafter referred to as “the United Medical Schools”) and on the same day St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School was reconstituted as the Administrati on Council of the United Medical Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals (hereinafter referred to as “the Administration Council”):
The Royal Dental Hospital of London was established in 1858 and the Royal Dental Hospital of London School of Dental Surgery (hereinafter referred to as “the Dental School”) was founded in 1859. The Dental School was admitted as a School of the University in 1911 and remained a constituent part of the Royal Dental Hospital of London until 1948 when, pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15, the Dental School was reconstituted:
On 1st August 1983 the United Medical Schools were reconstituted pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15 as the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals (hereinafter referred to as “the Schools”), the Administration Council was also reconstituted pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15 as the First Administration Council of the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals (hereinafter referred to as “the First Administration Council”) and the Dental School was reconstituted as the Second Administration Council of the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals (hereinafte r referred to as “the Second Administration Council”):
On 1st August 1985 the Institute of Dermatology (hereinafter referred to as “the Institute”) which had been incorporated in 1950 as a company limited by guarantee, transferred its assets and rights to the Schools which were reconstituted on that day pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15 and on the same day the First Administr ation Council and the Second Administration Council were also reconstituted pursuant to schemes made under the said section 15:
The Institute was dissolved in May 1988:
By virtue of the [1990 c. vi.] United Medical and Dental Schools Act 1990 the First Administration Council and the Second Administration Council were dissolved and a centralised management was created for the Schools pursuant to a scheme made under the said section 15:
The Report of the Inquiry into London’s Health Service, Medical Education and Research under the chairmanship of Sir Bernard Tomlinson dated October 1992 (hereinafter referred to as “the Tomlinson Report”) recommended the linking of London Medical Schools to multi-faculty colleges and in particular that the Schools should merge with King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry within the College and that this merger should be pursued and implemented with all speed. The Tomlinson Report also recognised that co-location of medical schools and multi-faculty institutions and rationalisation of facilities would need to be contingent on suitable financial arrangements being made and more particularly on the release of funds to finance it:
The Department of Health has endorsed the broad conclusions of the Tomlinson Report, including the recommended merger of the College and the Schools, and the Secretary of State for Education has asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England to take them forward:
The College and the Schools have agreed that it is expedient that provision should be made for the Schools and the College to be united in accordance with this Act:
It is expedient that the other provisions contained in this Act should be enacted:
The objects of this Act cannot be attained without the authority of Parliament:
May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted, by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—