Wolverhampton hospital memorabilia on display

Roy Stallard, 89, donated items from his nursing career

Medical artefacts from an old Wolverhampton hospital dating as far back as 1840 are on display in the city's first Healthcare Heritage Centre, inside Central Library.

The National Lottery-funded exhibition of items used at Royal Hospital - which shut in 1997 - includes midwifery memorabilia and a doctor's desk set-up.

It is part of the Care, Create, Conserve project, run by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's Charity, Arts and Heritage Group.

Many of the items have been donated by 89-year-old Roy Stallard, who gathered them throughout his nursing career, which he started at the city's Royal Hospital in 1954.

Some of the items date back as far as the 1840s

Royal Hospital was founded before the NHS came into being in 1948, and subsequently closed in 1997 after services were transferred to New Cross Hospital which is run by the trust.

“I began collecting as soon as I joined The Royal and felt a strong connection to the organisation and wanted to learn and inspire others", said Mr Stallard.

“One of my favourite items in the collection is the ether mask. It is prominent because Wolverhampton was the first place to use ether as an anaesthetic in 1847. Wolverhampton has such a unique healthcare history, and I am looking forward to seeing the collection grow.”

The exhibition is on the ground floor of Wolverhampton Central Library and can be viewed during library opening times.