The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating 185 years of the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
To mark the occasion, the trust is inviting the public to a morning of talks from experts on various topics, including the development of the prosthetic shoulder and the Victorian sick room.
Back in 1839, when the hospital first opened, the world was a vastly different place.
With only 50 beds, the hospital was staffed by a team of just ten people: four day nurses, a night nurse, house surgeon, apothecary, matron, secretary, and chaplain.
The first patient was a 15-year-old railway worker who suffered a severe compound fracture to the upper arm and stayed at the hospital for two months after having his arm amputated.
In the hospital’s first two months, it saw 59 patients, and in its first year, it had an annual budget of £433.
Of that, £91 was spent on beer and £27 on leeches.
Richard Havelock, chair of the hospital’s museum, said: "The Royal Berkshire Hospital has an amazing clinical and cultural history, from the remarkable to the everyday.
"It’s awe-inspiring to think of those original doctors and nurses and what they accomplished before the things we take for granted like antibiotics and anaesthetic.
"Since opening all those years ago, it’s no exaggeration to say millions of people have had their lives touched by the care provided here.
"And it’s a privilege to share some of those stories and achievements through the Medical Museum and at the History Symposium we hold each year."
"Knowing we are marking its 185th anniversary will make this one just a little bit more special."
In 2024, the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is a team of nearly 7,000 across seven sites, serving a community of a million people.
They treat someone in the emergency department every three minutes.
A baby is born in the maternity department every two hours, including Catherine, Princess of Wales, back in 1982.
An outpatient procedure takes place every 180 seconds.
The symposium takes place on Saturday, November 2, from 9.30am to 1.15pm.
More details about how to book a place can be found on the Royal Berkshire Medical Museum website.
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