News and events

A ‘POP-UP’ hospital featuring a fusion of old medicine and new, complete with a four-bedded ward, will be officially unveiled as part of the Great Exhibition of the North from Monday (16 July).

The attraction ‘inspired by – and created for - local children’ has been developed by The Great North Children’s Hospital to help shatter some of the myths about what a stay in hospital is really like and also to showcase some of the excellent work taking place there.

From the historic, including medical equipment and artefacts such as an ‘iron lung’ (a half-century old encased tank-like machine which helped a patient to breathe) to hi-tech virtual reality, the exhibition is guaranteed to pique the interest of everyone.

It will be officially opened by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Chairman, Professor Sir John Burn, in Newcastle University’s Herschel Building on Monday.

Sir John, who is also Professor of Clinical Genetics at the Institute of Genetic Medicine, said: “I’ve always been extremely proud to be associated with a Trust that has such an absolute focus on providing excellent care to our patients so it is fantastic that, through this exhibition, we are able to share some of the brilliant work our staff do outside of the hospital environment and within the wider community.

“The Great Exhibition of the North epitomises partner organisations coming together to celebrate the region’s great art, culture and innovation and it is fitting that we are part of this on the 70^th anniversary of the NHS.

“I would also like to say a big thank you to The Great North Children’s Hospital for their hard work in putting together their ‘pop-up hospital’ alongside a huge timetable of activities over the course of the next couple of months.”

The exhibition, which runs until 5 September, also features films made with Hotspur Primary School with children explaining what it is like to come to hospital, a dress-up area, a ‘virtual body’ and a health trail.

Research and Innovations Manager for The Great North Children’s Hospital, Julie Anderson, added: “The pop-up hospital was inspired by and created for local children to provide an interactive and educational exhibit for all the family.

“We know that staying in hospital can be a very daunting experience for children and this is an opportunity to show them that it isn’t as frightening as people may think and just how much healthcare has moved on over the years.”

The ‘pop-up’ hospital is open from Mondays to Fridays between 10am and 3pm. Admission is free and timetable of daily events will also be featured on the Trusts’ website at www.gnch.nhs.uk  and through social media.

Laura Partridge, Innovation Champion, Great Exhibition of the North, said: “The Great North Children’s Pop-up Hospital is a brilliant addition to the Great Exhibition of the North programme. As well as showcasing some of the region’s most exciting health innovation and research, the pop-up hospital is a fantastic opportunity for families to engage directly with our wonderful hospitals here in Newcastle.”

See timetable of events

About Great Exhibition of the North 2018

Great Exhibition of the North is the biggest event in England this year. The Exhibition will tell the inspiring story of the North of England and how its innovators, businesses, artists and designers have shaped our present and are inspiring our future. Visitors will begin their journey at one of three iconic venues – Great North Museum, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art or Sage Gateshead – before joining three trails through world-class venues and public spaces.

• In October 2016, NewcastleGateshead was selected to host Great Exhibition of the North; NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) led the bid and is the lead delivery partner for the Exhibition, working closely with colleagues at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Sage Gateshead, Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, The Great Run Company, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and a board chaired by Sir Gary Verity.
• City Delivery Partners including Newcastle University, Northumbria University, Gateshead College and Newcastle United Football Club are also providing vital support for Great Exhibition of the North.
• Towns and cities across the North of England are getting involved by being part of the ‘Inspired by’ programme of events, experiences and performances. People can submit details of their event at www.getnorth2018.com/inspiredby .
• Great Exhibition of the North is encouraging schools to get involved, with content available on the website to both download teaching resources and upload their responses. Schools are able to do follow up work developed in the classroom by booking a tailored visit to the Exhibition during the final four weeks of the summer term.
• Great Exhibition of the North will provide a range of exciting volunteer opportunities for individuals, groups and businesses. A team of over 1,000 volunteers will welcome visitors to NewcastleGateshead, interpreting themes of exhibition, lead school groups and provide event support at special one-off occasions.
• On Tuesday 27 February the BBC announced a partnership to support Great Exhibition of the North.
• Great Exhibition of the North is supported by Premier Partners London North Eastern Railway, Accenture and CISCO.
• Funding has also been secured via Innovate UK, VisitEngland, Royal Commission for the Exhibition 1851, the Sir James Knott Trust and Reece Foundation and by England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
• National Lottery players have supported the Great Exhibition of the North through £1.7m of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund; Big Lottery Fund and Arts Council England.
• Womble Bond Dickinson, Ward Hadaway, Siemens, Port of Tyne, Virgin Money, BT, Robertson and NewSubstance are proud partners of Great Exhibition of the North.
• Newcastle Airport, Greggs plc, Go North East, Tyne & Wear Metro and Northumbrian Water, Shout Digital, Stagecoach, PwC, Barbour Foundation, HMS Calliope and Ubisoft are supporting partners.