The Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital Project. (360G-Wellcome-079454_Z_06_Z)

The Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital Project The imminent closure of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital in Coventry City Centre, and the Hospital's relocation to a new purpose-built 'super hospital', marks a significant moment in the history of the NHS and points to the changing nature of health care in the UK. Yet as well as being a historical event, the closure of the Hospital has a personal dimension: the Hospital has been serving the region at its current site for more than 130 years, and so for many the closure of the Hospital is an emotional event. Through a programme of activity that takes archiving, disseminating, and interacting as its key concerns, the Centre for the History of Medicine at the University of Warwick seeks to stimulate public discussion on a variety of issues, including the history of the Hospital, changes to the NHS, and the future role of hospitals and their place in the community. The project will involve the communities served by the Hospital in writing, interpreting and celebrating the Hospital's history. Planned activities include oral history interviews, salvaging documents and artefacts from the site, and arts events. A dedicated website will provide a virtual space to disseminate information about the Hospital's history as acquired and interpreted through the project's activities, while a public event and visits to local schools and community centres will provide an actual meeting ground for people to come together and discuss the Hospital's place in the community, past and present.