RECORD books showing the history of the old Calderstones Hospital prior to the creation of the NHS are being preserved in the Lancashire Archives.
Staff at the Whalley site have been cataloguing files as part of new database work, including records from the nearby former hospital at Brockhall.
They include information on five sets of twins, a number of complete life stories from birth to death and records of those deemed, by the standards of the time, to be mentally incapacitated, like unmarried mothers.
Calderstones chief executive David Young said: “We’re proud of the Calderstones of today, with its award-winning service users and staff who share best practice around the country. But we want to remember those service users from the past who experienced the standards of a different age.”
Documents which can legally be kept, including those of service users discharged before 1950, are being stored in the Lancashire Archives for access by researchers.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here