Warrington Museum & Art Gallery is paying tribute to a revolutionary institute that has become the envy of the modern world.
With 2018 marking the 70th birthday of the National Health Service Warrington Museum & Art Gallery is celebrating the occasion by taking visitors on a unique journey through seven decades of world-class health care with a fascinating new display.
The Health Revolution is set to launch later this month, and aims to give visitors a rare glimpse into the inner workings of this valuable service.
This impressive display will examine just how much the NHS has changed over its 70-year history, by exploring a range of topics from the most common illnesses people suffered from, to the availability of medical provisions and knowledge, the nature of health care roles, and the medical milestones that have revolutionised the service.
A key part of the research underpinning this exhibition saw Warrington Museum & Art Gallery reach out to NHS staff who could give accurate and detailed testimonies of their work, from hospital environments, to technology, and even uniform.
From first-hand accounts from hospital staff, to old newspaper clippings and treasured items of a by-gone era, this fascinating display manages to capture the very essence of Warrington’s NHS – past and present.
In addition, the exhibition also features loans from other museums, including the People’s History Museum and National Museums Liverpool.
Memories gathered from NHS employees will also be displayed as part of a memories wall, which visitors to the exhibition will be able to contribute to.
Hannah White, collections assistant at Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, said it was an honour to work so closely with the public, and has been delighted by the support she has received.
Hannah said: “We put out a request in the local media for members of the public to share their memories and any objects that they might have from their time working in the NHS, and the response has been wonderful. It has been particularly fascinating working with a group of ladies who are part of the NHS Retirement Fellowship as they have worked all over the country in varying roles but still within the NHS.
“The exhibition has also allowed us to work closely with Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Hollins Park Hospital, Winwick, who have provided us with some amazing photographs of Warrington’s healthcare services over the past 70 years.
“It has been a great privilege for me to listen to the stories that people have provided and the commitment of these medical professionals has been incredibly inspiring and humbling.”
The Health Revolution is on at Warrington Museum & Art Gallery from Saturday 24 March to Saturday July 7.
