The facility has it origins in the Maldon Union Workhouse, which was designed by Frederick Peck in the Tudor style and opened in 1873.[1] It became the Maldon Institution in 1930 and joined the National Health Service as St Peter's Hospital in 1948.[2]
The age of the hospital building has led to problems in the 21st century. Hallways are narrow, and in 2024 Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board deemed parts of the building "no longer safe for patients to stay in or staff to work in" and estimated that £18.7 million in repairs were needed to fix problems including roof leaks that have caused cracks in walls.[3] Improvement works were carried out in November 2018.[4] Weight restrictions were introduced on the first and second floors, and the number of stroke rehabilitation beds was reduced as a result. In 2023, the stroke rehabilitation unit was moved temporarily to Brentwood Community Hospital in Brentwood and the labour and delivery unit was moved to Braintree Community Hospital in Braintree. The trust proposed in 2024 closing St Peter's and relocating some services to sites elsewhere in Maldon.[3][5]
