St Peter's Hospital history to be displayed at Chertsey Museum

The exhibit tracing the history of the hospital will be held in 2025

Patients and staff, both past and present, will tell the story of a Surrey hospital as part of a museum exhibition.

The history of St Peter's Hospital will be on display at Chertsey Museum in 2025.

Along with photos, short films and mementos, personal testimonies will be part of the collection.

A chief nurse said the project would give "valuable and varied insight" into the hospital's history.

As part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund project, the hospital will be traced from when it was founded in 1947 through to the present day.

Councillor Chris Howorth is chair of Runnymede Borough Council's community services committee, which oversees the museum.

He said: "St Peter's Hospital represents a significant part of our local community, from a small hospital treating World War II casualties in the 1940s up to the state of the art hospital it is today."

The hospital was run by Surrey County Council until the formation of the NHS in 1948

Ellen Bull, interim chief nurse and executive lead for the Healing Arts at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We're excited to be working with Chertsey Museum on this collaborative project.

"It will give valuable and varied insight into our hospital's history for our current and future local population."

Ms Bull said the hospital had been through "significant changes to make it the site that it is today," including the launch of the NHS in 1948.

She added: "We look forward to learning more about its journey from the individuals who helped shape it."

An archive of oral histories and short film will be part of the exhibit, as well as historical photos and personal mementos, and art created by patients and staff.

Some of the artwork will be displayed in St Peter's Hospital, while creative art boxes will also be available for people unable to visit the museum, or who are in hospital.

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