Fair Mile Hospital

Out of the asylum and into the community

In 1948 Fair Mile and Borocourt became part of the NHS. From this time onwards there were dramatic improvements in medical and non-medical treatments for mental illness. The NHS, the welfare state, and the post-war economic boom also meant that standards of living and general health rose, and many more forms of care and assistance were on offer. 

Fair Mile began to use the new ‘physical therapies’ such as electro-convulsive therapy, new drug treatments, and trained psychologists, social workers and therapists. Fair Mile, Borocourt, and a number of general hospitals in the area began to offer a more flexible range of options to suit individual needs, such as outpatient clinics and daycare centres, and the distinctions between mental health care and general health care began to be broken down. 

The increasing effectiveness and variety of treatment and care available led to the ‘care in the community’ programme, with former residents of mental hospitals and institutions being moved to smaller homes. In 1993 Borocourt closed, with Fair Mile following in 2003. Patient care is now provided at the newly built Prospect Park Hospital in Reading. 

(left) The ballroom at Borocourt, c.1959 (P/HA2/5/2 (part))