Providing healthcare since 1885
The hôpital Franco-Britannique has a rich history which goes back almost 150 years, this is essentially the story of how two private non-profit hospitals located in Levallois-Perret became a single establishment:
- The Hertford British Hospital, founded in 1872,
- The Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours hospital, which opened in 1885.
These two establishment merged in 2008 and took on the collective name: “the Franco-Britannique Hospital Institute”.
On 1 January 2021, the Hôpital Franco-Britannique became a part of the Cognacq-Jay Foundation, whose headquarters are located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.
This development is the logical continuation of the close relations that have been established between the Cognacq-Jay Foundation, which manages a number of healthcare establishments in the Ile-de-France region, and the Œuvre du Perpétuel Secours association which had been managing the hospital up to then.
The history of the Œuvre du Perpétuel Secours and the Hôpital Notre Dame du Perpétuel Secours
The Œuvre du Perpétuel Secours association was founded in 1885 by Mrs de Vatismenil, it very rapidly acquired a large area of land in Levallois-Perret thanks to a number of generous donations from its founders.
The Œuvre du Perpétuel Secours became recognised as a Public Interest establishment as early as 1892 as a result of the deeply appreciated services that it provided to the population.
The hospital was entirely rebuilt in 1987 and then modernised between 2004 and 2007.
Further works, largely concerning the emergency ward, were completed in 2012.
In 2008 the Œuvre du Perpétuel Secours incorporated the activities of the “Hertford British Hospital”, a prestigious secular establishment, founded by Sir Richard Wallace in 1872.
Since then the activities of the hospital have been operated under the collective name “Institut hospitalier Franco-Britannique”.
History of the Hertford British Hospital
The “Hertford British Hospital” charity was founded in 1872 by the generous philanthropist Sir Richard WALLACE who had inherited the fortune of the fourth Marquis of Hertford.
Originally this hospital responded to the medical needs of English nationals resident in Paris. It rapidly opened its doors to all inhabitants of Levallois and its surroundings.
As well as founding the hospital, Sir Richard Wallace donated the famous “Wallace fountains” to the city of Paris and left the magnificent “Wallace Art Collection” to Great Britain, which can still be seen in London.
The Hertford British Hospital was very modern for its time, throughout the 20th century, it attracted highly reputed doctors.
The hospital used fund-raisers, a very Anglo-Saxon practice, to finance its operations; in which the British Royal Family played an important role. The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, was Honorary President of the Hertford British Hospital from 1936 to 2003. The “Hertford British Hospital corporation” has developed significantly over the years and the current Honorary President is the ninth Marquis of Hertford.
In 1982, when its magnificent original building (listed as a historic monument) was no longer suitable for hospital use, new buildings were constructed at 3 rue Barbès.
The history of the Cognacq-Jay Foundation
The Cognacq-Jay Foundation has been recognised as a Public Interest organisation ever since it was first founded in 1916 by Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jaÿ, the owners of the SAMARTAINE department stores. It’s mission is to create, maintain and develop works of social solidarity.
The Cognacq-Jay Foundation has been based in Levallois-Perret for almost a hundred years, where it also owns a number of residential buildings (rue Danton and rue Ernest Cognacq).
For more information about the history of the Cognacq-Jay Foundation:
http://www.cognacq-jay.fr/la-fondation/histoire