Worcester museums

Only a minority of UK cities have museums relating to the history of health care, but Worcester boasts two: the George Marshall Medical Museum and The Infirmary. As part of its development programme, the University of Worcester is currently advertising the post of Curator Manager for The Infirmary (http://www.medicalmuseum.org.uk/index.html).

The George Marshall Medical Museum has collections of nursing interest. One example from its website:

‘A small collection of items relating to the professional life of local Nurse Marjorie Tarran SRN SCM OphthalmicCert RCNT. The collection includes:

- items of uniform from the mid 20th Century

- various books and pamphlets

- a painting

- hospital badges

- various ephemera including nursing certificates, exam papers, hospital fliers and pamphlets, letters, and scrapbooks of newspaper clippings of her nursing staff to record key events in their lives.

Nurse Tarran was born in 1922 on a farm in Broughton Hackett, Worcestershire. She began her nursing career in the Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital in 1938 at the age of 16, and endured several years of difficulties during WW2 when patients often needed evacuating, electricity frequently failed, and food was in short supply. Nurse Tarran returned to Worcester to start her General Training, which she completed in 1944, and continued her involvement in the local war effort working at the historic infirmary at Castle Street and whilst conveys of soldiers were transported from Shrub Hill station to the purpose-built hospital at Ronkswood. Nurse Tarran went on to work in theatres, where she was appointed Staff Nurse, and then midwifery in Birmingham and Gloucester. Nurse Tarran became a clinical tutor in the 1960s, continuing in this role for many years, and as such holds a place in the hearts of many local nurses who were trained by her and who remember her fondly.’