The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust announced in March 2019 its intention to rename London Road Community Hospital, close to the centre of Derby, after Florence Nightingale. The renaming is intended to coincide with the bicentenary of Nightingale's birth in May 2020.
The move is being driven by John Rivers, chair of the Trust's board. John, who is also a major supporter of the 'Nightingale Comes Home' project, has done much work to publicise the connection between Nightingale and Derbyshire.
London Road Community Hospital was set up to provide local community services in central Derby following the closure of Derbyshire Royal Infirmary (DRI) in 2009. Nightingale had a direct connection with the DRI, having been consulted on its redesign in 1869.
The Trust hopes that the renaming will preserve and develop the historic connection between Nightingale and Derby Hospitals, and that it will encourage those who work at the hospital to study and develop the values promoted by Nightingale in her work.
The Trust's March 2019 report on the renaming of the hospital can be downloaded by clicking on the PDF link below:
Florence Nightingale PTB 12 March 2019
New Statue
The Hospital has also commissioned a new statue of Florence Nightingale to be located in front of the newly renamed Hospital.
These photographs show the area being excavated in preparation. The plan was to have renamed the Hospital and unveiled the statue at a ceremony in International Nurses Week on 14th May. The ceremony has been postponed in view of the coronavirus epidemic but is something exciting to look forward to in the 200th Anniversary Year of Nightingale's birthday in 1820.
Thanks to John Rivers for sharing these images.