[1] The hospital was designed by George Thomas Hine and opened as the Heath Asylum on 19 September 1898 .

[3] In the 1970s, there were sporting facilities and a weekly film at the cinema, plus a library, and hairdressing for men and women.

The Friends of Bexley Hospital provided coach outings and equipment for special projects.

Until 1961, the hospital had a farm with chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, and pigs, plus a market garden for vegetables.

[2] When the hospital first opened, the patients undertook the maintenance and upkeep of the asylum, along with other duties such as cleaning and making beds; in later years, the farm was maintained by patients, who also looked after the gardens and grounds of the hospital.