Plaque honouring NHS staff at former Wolverhampton hospital unveiled
A plaque honouring the work of NHS staff in Wolverhampton has been unveiled with plans to fit it to the front of a historic former hospital in the city.
The plaque was unveiled at a ceremony on Friday ahead of it later being fitted to the front of the city's Royal Hospital, which is currently being redeveloped by Walsall Housing Group (WHG) into apartments.
In attendance at the grand unveiling was members of the Royal Hospital Nurses League, who helped to fund the project.
Also present was The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Chaplain Reverend, Angela Gemmer-Snell who gave a blessing, and Rob Marris, former Labour MP for Wolverhampton South West.
The historic hospital first opened its doors in 1849 before closing in June, 1997, with services being transferred to New Cross Hospital.
Roy Stallard started work at the hospital as a nurse in 1954 and later became a nurse tutor.
The 89-year-old, who is now a hospital historian, also previously held the title of president of the Royal Hospital Nurses League.
He said: "We have been waiting several years to reach this point. Due to the complexity of the development, planning approval needed for a listed building and, not least, safe access to the site, the grand unveiling was delayed so to get to this point now is fantastic.
"When the league closed we had a pot of money left so we decided to allocate it out to different causes including donating six radiology monitors to Deanesly Centre at New Cross and also spending £1,000 on a blue plaque to mark the vital contributions of staff at the Royal over many years.
"I think the plaque is a fantastic tribute to everyone who worked at the hospital. It will be a wonderful reminder of all the hard work and brilliant care which was delivered there."
The project was organised with the help of The Wolverhampton Society, a volunteer-led group which is responsible for having added plaques to sites around the city since 1983.
David Dungar, who is chairman of the society, commented that it was an important project to be a part of.
He continued: "I am very glad to witness the unveiling of this important plaque. We have fitted well over 100 blue plaques in Wolverhampton to date so this shows the rich history and heritage of the city."
The unveiling of the plaque follows the news that a museum dedicated to the history of healthcare in Wolverhampton has been given a funding boost of £140,000, thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The museum, which will be based at the Health Hub in the Mander Centre, will house various medical artefacts and memorabilia.
Elinor Cole, arts and heritage co-ordinator at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust said it was a "exciting time" for the city.
She added: "The unveiling of this plaque came at a great time as it kicks off our healthcare museum project which we have just received substantial funding for.
“It is the start of a very exciting time to really showcase the rich and varied history of healthcare in Wolverhampton. We are very proud to support the plaque reveal.”
