Leaf died in 1874, but his daughters continued his work, founding the Leaf Homeopathic Cottage Hospital in Marine Road in January 1888 and it is here that the legacy of the Leaf Hospital as we know it really begins. The Leaf embraced the latest medical innovations over its long history but with the introduction of the Eastbourne District General Hospital in 1977, general medical treatment was amalgamated into one site and the town’s cottage hospitals were gradually decommissioned.
From 1983 until 2024, the University of Brighton School of Sports and Health Sciences centre of medical excellence provided dedicated podiatry treatment and specialist medical training at the Leaf. Podiatry practitioners across the world studied at the Leaf Hospital over the decades, adding to its considerable legacy.
Since its closure in 2024, in the true spirit of William Laidler Leaf, the latest technology and advanced treatments in Podiatry care lives on in its new home at the Pioneer Wound Healing and Lymphoedema Centres, in both the Eastbourne and Crawley Clinics.
The Clinical manager of the Podiatry Services at the Leaf Hospital, Vince Herencia has moved with the service into Pioneer. Pioneer is well known already by the people of Sussex for its 25-year history in world leading wound healing and lymphoedema care.
Both Adults and Children can access the Private Care Podiatry clinics by booking a self-referral appointment via the Pioneer website www.pioneer-podiatry.co.uk or calling 03300 222111.
This service is available now in Eastbourne and will open in May 2025 in Crawley.
Vince said “At Pioneer Podiatry we are dedicated to the treatment and management of lower limb health. As the good weather approaches, we often increase our weight bearing activity and keeping the body in good health is essential. At Pioneer we offer a comprehensive range of services from routine/advanced nail care to specialised gait analysis. Pioneer Podiatry is here to help your feet take you where your heart wants to go.