Historic hospital artefacts to go on display in Wolverhampton
A new museum showcasing the history of Wolverhampton’s former Royal Hospital is planned to open at the city’s New Cross Hospital.
Former nurse and nurse tutor Roy Stallard, from Penn – who is now a hospital historian – plans to set up the museum at New Cross’s education department.
He will be using old artefacts from the Royal Hospital site as part of the project.
Some artefacts are currently on display at the hospital’s heart and lung centre for the NHS’ 70th anniversary.
Mr Stallard said: “Over the next few weeks we’re putting in the artefacts. Obviously, I trained and worked at the Royal Hospital.
“The hospitals in Wolverhampton grew on me and because of that interest, people offered me bits and pieces and artefacts.
“I gathered the collection, which is currently over 300 items.”
“We’ve got a whole range of hospital artefacts.
“Some are on display at the hospital for the NHS anniversary.”
The artefacts are currently in the process of being moved to a more permanent home in the library section of the education centre at New Cross.
Mr Stallard added: “Originally, it was planned for the Royal Hospital itself but when Tesco pulled out it went out of the window. The next best thing was New Cross. It’s important for Wolverhampton.
“The city itself has got a very good hospital pedigree and I’ve built on that by showing the artefacts.
“I’ve got a lot of pride and memories – the pride come from the fact that we’re going to have them exhibited properly to a museum standard.
"The memories come from the fact many of the items that we’re showing I’ve had direct experience with.”
Artefacts such as inhaler glasses from 1850, a staff picture from 1955, a syringe from 1880, and an X-ray from 1950 were among items put on display at New Cross Hospital’s Heart and Lung centre.
Mr Stallard, aged 84, first started work at the Royal Hospital in 1954 and was helped by staff from Bantock House Museum in putting the collection and display together.
The Royal Hospital was founded in 1846 and closed in 1997.
Under plans submitted to the council, the former Grade II-listed Royal Hospital site could be home to 53 flats and form part of a major scheme for 192 new homes on the site.
