Oxford University Hospitals threw open its doors to the public on Friday 8 September to show visitors the latest in cutting-edge imaging technology at the John Radcliffe Hospital – and some of the Churchill Hospital’s wartime history.
The four tours – two at each hospital – were part of the annual Oxford Open Doors event, organised by the Oxford Preservation Society in partnership with the University of Oxford, when famous city buildings are opened to the public.
Two of the tours were to the University of Oxford’s Acute Vascular Imaging Centre (AVIC), based at the John Radcliffe. Using the latest technology in imaging and diagnostics, the centre is improving treatment of heart attacks and stroke.
AVIC’s Operations Manager, Carol Davey, explained how the centre operates and showed participants some of the equipment that it houses, such as 3T MRI scanner. The centre contains a ‘high-dependency’ bay with facilities for full medical support, including anaesthesia.
The tours at the Churchill focused on the history of the hospital, which was built in 1942 as an American military medical facility, as well as the creation of the world-leading research facilities in the Cancer Centre.
Visitors were able to see some of the original Second World War-era buildings, including the guard house, nurses’ quarters, flag pole, parade square and the frame of the last Nissen hut.
The events were organised by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a partnership between Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, and the University of Oxford and funds cutting edge research.