St Mary's Hospital School of Physiotherapy

The Swedish Institute was founded in 1904 by Dr Mary Coghill-Hawkes. It was the first such school in Britain, giving a training based on that of Dr Avredsen’s school in Stockholm. The Institute awarded its own certificates and entered students for the ISTM examinations. In 1917 the Institute was bought by Dr Justina Wilson, who amalgamated her own school at Baker Street with it. In 1928 Isabel Smith and Olive Guthrie-Smith, Wilson’s niece, bought the Institute, which they sold to St Mary’s Hospital on their retirement in 1947. Miss ME Pratt was appointed principal. It was subsequently renamed to St Mary's Hospital School of Physiotherapy.