The site of the current hospital was originally a workhouse, following the bequest of a house on Rushey Green to Lewisham Parish for the relief of the poor in 1612.

[2] A report in The Lancet in 1865 showed that the workhouse was essentially functioning as a hospital at that time: "Sick, infirm, and able-bodied – so called at least, but we saw none in the entire house – were placed in close approximation".

During the Second World War the hospital was hit by a V-1 flying bomb, which destroyed two wards, injured 70 people and killed one nurse.

[11] It reflects current thinking about patient care, replacing Nightingale wards with multiple four-bedded bays.

The design also reflects contemporary environmental concerns and was the first major NHS building to generate a proportion of its own power using photovoltaic panels installed on the roof.

[9] In 2012, architects AWW worked with the hospital to re-plan five wards and medical facilities whilst maintaining the Emergency Department.

[15] There was a strong campaign in Lewisham against the proposed closure, including a march on 24 November 2012[16] and a successful legal challenge.

[17] In October 2013, the Court of Appeal ruled that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not have power to implement cuts at Lewisham Hospital.