SURGERY AT ST THOMAS’ HOSPITAL

SURGERY AT ST THOMAS’ HOSPITAL

Thurs 8 Apr 2027, Guildhall Theatre guildhall promoted events, talks

SURGERY AT ST THOMAS’ HOSPITAL: The First 800 Years

Martin Thomas returns to the Guildhall Arts Centre following his sold out talk 'In The Footsteps Of Shackleton' in 2025.

Martin explores the extraordinary history of St Thomas’ Hospital, from medieval pilgrims and “cutting for stone” to Florence Nightingale and pioneering medical breakthroughs.

The hospital changed its name to St Thomas’ in 1173 in honour of Thomas a Becket murdered in Canterbury Cathedral. The hospital was at the southern end of London Bridge, the only bridge across the Thames. It served the pilgrims who travelled to and from Canterbury as well as the local people. Henry VIII closed the 40 bed hospital in 1540. It was re-opened, bigger and better, with 250 beds by Edward VI in 1551.

Surgeons removed painful bladder stones, a procedure called “cutting for stone”, with a mortality that was lowered over the years. Those undergoing amputations of legs carried a death rate up to 50% until anaesthesia, blood transfusion and antibiotics appeared.

In 1860 Florence Nightingale chose St Thomas’ for the first School of Nursing in the world. Just after WW2 the first intraocular lens implant was inserted at St Thomas’ Hospital.

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Book Tickets

Important Information

Venue: Guildhall Arts Centre, Theatre

Tickets: £12 (£10 concessions)

Running Time: 50 minutes

Suitable for ages 15+

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