THE Lord Mayor Treloar and Henry Gauvain Orthopaedic Hospital Memorial Book Award for 2007 has gone to Winchester matron Mary Wright. An annual award, set up as a memorial to Alton's former Treloar Hospital, the presentation took place at the Society of Trauma Nursing's (SOTN) Annual Conference, at the Royal College of Nursing headquarters in Tavistock Square, London. During the Saturday, November 3 ceremony, SOTN chairman Elaine Collins described the "wonderful work" of this year's winner, Mary Wright, a modern nurse matron in orthopaedics at The Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. Presenting the Book Award was former nurse Delia Thomas, who lives in Alton and who trained at the LMT Orthopaedic Hospital in the 1950s. Mrs Thomas told the packed audience: "Mary is making a significant contribution to orthopaedic nursing and patient care and is a worthy winner of the 2007 Award." Accompanied by daughter, Jean, Mary Wright said she was "delighted and deeply honoured" to receive the award. The Book Award goes back almost a century when the Lord Mayor of London Sir William Purdie Treloar, with his medical superintendent Sir Henry Gauvain, founded a hospital on the outskirts of Alton. Children with severe deformities and orthopaedic conditions were brought from the streets of London to be treated and cured there. They were also educated and given the chance of a new life. So the LMT hospital was formed and evolved into a regional orthopaedic centre and gained a worldwide reputation for innovative treatments, clinical care and nursing expertise. Six years ago the hospital was demolished and made way for housing. In response to public demand, a memorial trust was set up to commemorate what had been recognised both on a national and international scale as "a centre of excellence". Money has been raised by public donations with three main aims: l To provide a permanent memorial, comprising the original foundation stone, which stands next to the octagonal building on the old hospital site l Junior surgeons are being helped to work in Third World countries through donations to World Orthopaedic Concern l The LMT and Gauvain Memorial Book prize for orthopaedic nurses was formed to recognise the contribution these nurses have made, and are making, to patient care and excellence in practice. Nominations are sought via nursing publications, hospital notice boards, nurses and associated staff together with surgeons in the south-east of England and the Channel Islands. The judging committee looks forward to next year's 100th Anniversary Book Award which recognises the span of the remarkable history since the creation of this famous orthopaedic hospital in 1908. For further details of how to enter contact the chairman Geoff Nicholas by email at [email protected]">[email protected] or call 01420 88159 before the closing date of July 1, 2008.
