[2] In 1947, Crawley was selected as one of the sites for the Government's proposed New Towns—planned communities designed to accommodate people moved out of London, which was overcrowded and war-damaged.

[4] The master plan allocated land in the southeast of the development area for a large new hospital, and the 1930s facility was expected to be demolished.

[5] Both Crawley Urban District Council (the forerunner of the present Borough Council) and Crawley Development Corporation (the body responsible for planning and developing the New town) supported this proposal, but the regional health authority preferred building a new hospital on the existing site.

[5] Originally, a full range of services was provided: outpatient care, an Accident and Emergency department and a maternity unit.

[6] It is a three- to four-storey reinforced concrete structure clad with dark steel, white tiles, red glazed bricks and large areas of glass.