AN exhibition in a former hospital ward will celebrate the history of medicine.

Extensive collections of medical equipment, documents and uniforms will go on public display for the first time, in the building where the British Medical Association was founded, thanks to a £537,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A new permanent exhibition celebrating the history of medicine is being created in a ward of the former Worcester Royal Infirmary, to be called Museum@WRI.

The BMA was founded by Sir Charles Hastings in the boardroom of the former hospital in 1832 and the site now forms the University of Worcester’s City Campus.

The university is working with the George Marshall Medical Museum to develop the new exhibition.

It will include collections of artefacts from the Infirmary and across Worcestershire, as well as exhibitions celebrating the history of the site. There will be an emphasis on education and participation, with activities to get children and members of the public involved.

Anne Jenkins, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the West Midlands, said: “As one of the first cities outside London to found a voluntary hospital in the 18th century, Worcester has a rich historical legacy charting the development of healthcare provision over the past 300 years. This exciting new exhibition will enable people of all ages to take part in and learn about this extraordinary heritage.”

Catriona Smellie, curator at the George Marshall Medical Museum at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, said: “This is a really exciting project that will allow us to display many of our collections for the first time. We have hundreds of rare books, going back to the 1600s, collections of medical equipment, and most interesting, in my opinion, are some of the artefacts found during the renovations of the site, such as old postcards and letters belonging to the nurses who lived and worked here.

“The exhibition will include a lively interactive area, which will link the history of medicine to contemporary medical issues such as obesity and mental illness. The exhibition will also celebrate the history of the WRI in the Worcester community, and the stories of people who worked and were treated there during 300 years.”

Visitors to the exhibition, which is expected to open toward the end of this year, will be asked to share their memories and stories of the WRI and will be able to vote and give opinions on today’s medical issues, such as stem cell research.