MTW NHS Hospital Archives

Several documents relating to the sale of land for the new Kent & Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells.

Cholera in the workhouse from contaminated water led to improvements and this water pump from a deep well was constructed. The original was donated to the Science Museum. @MTWnhs

Occasionally our @MTWnhs archives throw up all sorts of interesting things like this cheque from over 75 years ago found inside a folder!

Before the NHS hospitals relied on donations, fundraising & volunteers to get through. The Ladies Linen League was a good example. Linen was expensive and every effort was made to make do and mend. They even made swabs and dressings.@MTWnhs

Certificate of radiation quality for the Kent & Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells in 1935. @MTWnhs

This plan of the old Oakwood Hospital site in 1989 shows where a planned new pharmacy unit was due to be built. The site is now housing and the unit was not built.@MTWnhs

We close our festive series from the archives with these Christmas Eve photos taken at Pembury Hospital in the 1970s. Nurses carol singing around the wards with lanterns, capes turned to the red side bringing some festive joy to patients and families in at Christmas.@MTWnhs

Our next Christmas Photo from the archives turns to the Tunbridge Wells General Hospital. This is Christmas 1919 - you can see unmistakable figure of Matron Ada Smith standing tall. @MTWnhs

Today’s photo is Christmas on Ward 11 in the 1950s at the Kent & Sussex Hospital where Assistant Matron Miss Kendall is joining in the fun on Christmas Eve. @MTWnhs

Today’s Christmas photo from the archives! Here is the Children’s Ward at Pembury Hospital in the early 1930s beside a huge Christmas Tree! @MTWnhs

Here are some other December stories from more modern times December 2019 HRH Princess Royal @MTWnhs MGH, Dec 2020 covid vaccination centre starting at MGH, building paediatric ED at TWH in 2021 & snow at TW Dec 2022

Today’s Christmas Photo is of the historic snowy winter of 1963 - it’s a bit of an imposter as it’s actually taken in January not Christmas but it looks festive so we have included it! @MTWnhs

Despite the pressure of war - staff still dressed up to entertain both each other and wounded servicemen at the hospital - Christmas week in Pembury 1943 @MTWnhs

Here are three photos of Christmas decorations on wards. The photos are of Pembury Hospital between 1928 and 1932. At the time Pembury was transitioning between workhouse infirmary and county hospital. @MTWnhs

Perhaps the ultimate Christmas Tree was the cedar tree that stood outside Pembury Hospital. Its lights were enjoyed by many generations. It even informed part of the logo for the Kent & Sussex Weald NHS Trust in the 1990s @MTWnhs

In 1915 “inmates” of the workhouse at Pembury who by that time were mostly elderly care were given a Christmas Dinner that included 400lbs of plum pudding! Although still called the Tonbridge Union Workhouse the term Sandhill Infirnary was used to soften it. @MTWnhs

A tradition on wards in years gone by was the consultant carving turkey with the ward sister on the ward on Christmas Day. Here is a 1970s photo from Pembury Hospital.@MTWnhs

The hospitals once had a long tradition of dressing up and entertaining at Christmas - here is one from the archives from 1938 at Pembury Hospital! @MTWnhs

Some festive decorations from Christmas past at @MTWnhs Pembury Hospital. The top picture from the 70’s and the bottom picture from the 1930’s.